NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• NiSource has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 11 analysts, with an average 1-year price target of about $50.33.
• Recent analyst actions were mixed: Evercore and KeyCorp both set $52 price targets, while Wall Street Zen downgraded the stock to sell and Citigroup raised its target to $49 but kept a neutral rating.
• The company reported Q1 EPS of $1.06, matching estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share payable on August 20, implying a 2.6% yield.

Shares of NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eleven analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $50.3333.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on NI. Evercore set a $52.00 price target on shares of NiSource in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of NiSource from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of NiSource in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $52.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of NiSource from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of NiSource from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th.

Insider Activity at NiSource

In related news, EVP Melody Birmingham sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.43, for a total transaction of $118,575.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 116,036 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,503,587.48. This represents a 2.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Melanie B. Berman sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.68, for a total transaction of $715,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 35,990 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,716,003.20. The trade was a 29.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 27,500 shares of company stock worth $1,305,675. 0.37% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NiSource

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of NiSource in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $84,086,000. Magellan Asset Management Ltd increased its position in shares of NiSource by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter. Magellan Asset Management Ltd now owns 369,164 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $15,985,000 after purchasing an additional 25,721 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of NiSource in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,154,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of NiSource by 41.7% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 891,464 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $37,228,000 after purchasing an additional 262,483 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its position in shares of NiSource by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 8,136,157 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $352,296,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065,591 shares during the last quarter. 91.64% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NiSource Price Performance

NiSource stock opened at $46.62 on Thursday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $47.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.18. The company has a market capitalization of $22.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.54. NiSource has a 1 year low of $38.45 and a 1 year high of $48.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.65.

NiSource (NYSE:NI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06. The business had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.52 billion. NiSource had a net margin of 14.15% and a return on equity of 8.31%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.85 EPS. NiSource has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.070 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that NiSource will post 2.05 earnings per share for the current year.

NiSource Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. NiSource's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.70%.

About NiSource

NiSource, Inc NYSE: NI is a publicly traded energy holding company headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana, that primarily owns and operates regulated local gas and electric utilities in the United States. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company delivers natural gas and electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers and provides the associated distribution and transmission services that keep local energy systems functioning.

The company's core activities include natural gas distribution, electric transmission and distribution, system operations, maintenance and emergency response.

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