Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.08 EPS

Key Points

• Northwest Natural Gas reported quarterly earnings of $0.01 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations of ($0.07) by $0.08.
• The company has updated its FY 2025 earnings guidance to between 2.750-2.950 EPS and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.49 per share.
• Despite beating earnings estimates, shares of NWN traded down $0.56 to hit $39.64 with a market capitalization of $1.60 billion.

Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The utilities provider reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.08, Zacks reports. Northwest Natural Gas had a return on equity of 8.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. The business had revenue of $236.19 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $252.70 million. Northwest Natural Gas updated its FY 2025 guidance to 2.750-2.950 EPS.

Northwest Natural Gas Price Performance

Shares of NWN stock traded down $0.56 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $39.64. The company had a trading volume of 123,530 shares, compared to its average volume of 275,326. Northwest Natural Gas has a 12 month low of $37.41 and a 12 month high of $44.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.76 and a beta of 0.55. The firm's fifty day moving average is $40.68 and its 200 day moving average is $41.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.05.

Northwest Natural Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 31st. Northwest Natural Gas's payout ratio is currently 77.78%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Northwest Natural Gas from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Northwest Natural Gas from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 13th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northwest Natural Gas

In other news, Director David Hugo Anderson sold 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.96, for a total value of $314,700.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 87,291 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,662,730.36. This represents a 7.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 22,591 shares of company stock valued at $923,455. Corporate insiders own 0.93% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northwest Natural Gas

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 650.9% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 64,966 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,775,000 after purchasing an additional 56,314 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 106,605 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $4,554,000 after purchasing an additional 5,644 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 17.8% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 164,729 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $7,037,000 after purchasing an additional 24,906 shares during the last quarter. 75.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Northwest Natural Gas

Northwest Natural Holding Company, through its subsidiary, Northwest Natural Gas Company, provides regulated natural gas distribution services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the United States. The company operates a mist gas storage facility contracted to other utilities, third-party marketers, and electric generators; offers natural gas asset management services; and operates an appliance retail center.

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