NatWest Group (NYSE:NWG) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded NatWest Group from “hold” to “buy,” contributing to MarketBeat’s overall “Moderate Buy” consensus rating.
• NatWest exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.54 EPS versus a $0.45 consensus estimate and revenue of $6.06 billion versus $5.90 billion expected.
• Management raised its full-year outlook and accelerated share-buyback plans, although valuation models suggest potential downside and the stock remains sensitive to interest rates and cost pressures.

NatWest Group (NYSE:NWG - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of NatWest Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded shares of NatWest Group from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of NatWest Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on shares of NatWest Group in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of NatWest Group from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

NatWest Group Stock Performance

NYSE:NWG opened at $18.94 on Friday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $17.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. NatWest Group has a twelve month low of $13.49 and a twelve month high of $19.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.07, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.92.

NatWest Group (NYSE:NWG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $6.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.90 billion. NatWest Group had a return on equity of 13.30% and a net margin of 19.11%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that NatWest Group will post 1.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NatWest Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NWG. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of NatWest Group by 427.7% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,831 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,484 shares during the period. American National Bank & Trust bought a new position in NatWest Group during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in NatWest Group during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in NatWest Group by 173.6% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 2,197 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 1,394 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its position in NatWest Group by 101.7% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,259 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 1,139 shares during the period. 1.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting NatWest Group

Here are the key news stories impacting NatWest Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Profit and earnings beat expectations: NatWest reported second-quarter EPS of $0.54, exceeding the $0.47 consensus estimate. First-half attributable profit rose 22% to approximately £3 billion, while operating profit before tax increased 20.4% to £4.3 billion. NatWest earnings results
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance upgraded: Management raised its full-year outlook, supported by stronger revenue generation, improved efficiency and resilient credit quality. These factors helped offset continuing cost pressures. NatWest reports profit up 20%, brings forward buyback plans
• Positive Sentiment: Earlier capital returns: NatWest brought forward plans for further share buybacks, a shareholder-friendly move that could reduce the share count and support per-share earnings. The bank also completed its acquisition of wealth manager Evelyn Partners, expanding its wealth-management capabilities. NatWest raises guidance and brings forward share-buyback plans
• Neutral Sentiment: NatWest’s net margin was 19.11% and return on equity was 13.30%, indicating solid profitability. However, the stock’s valuation and outlook remain sensitive to interest rates, loan demand and the bank’s ability to control costs. NatWest Group Q2 2026 earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: A valuation model cited by Yahoo Finance’s earnings preview indicated roughly 17% potential downside based on estimated fair value, which could limit gains if investors view the strong results as already reflected in the share price. NatWest earnings watch

About NatWest Group

NatWest Group plc is a major UK-based banking and financial services group headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company traces its roots to the Royal Bank of Scotland, founded in 1727, and adopted the NatWest Group name in 2020 as part of a strategic refocus on its NatWest brand. NatWest Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and also has American depositary shares trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NWG.

The group provides a broad range of banking services across retail, private, commercial, corporate and institutional segments.

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