Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) Upgraded at BTIG Research

Key Points

• Northwest Natural Gas has been upgraded to a "strong-buy" rating by BTIG Research, indicating a positive outlook from analysts.
• The company's stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $49.67, amidst various ratings from other research firms.
• Recent insider trading saw a director sell 7,500 shares, reflecting a 14.44% decrease in their position, while institutional ownership stands at 75.13% of the company's stock.

Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at BTIG Research to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also commented on NWN. Zacks Research upgraded Northwest Natural Gas to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Northwest Natural Gas in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $49.67.

Northwest Natural Gas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NWN opened at $47.04 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $42.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.59 and a beta of 0.57. Northwest Natural Gas has a 52 week low of $38.03 and a 52 week high of $47.73.

Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.08. Northwest Natural Gas had a net margin of 8.34% and a return on equity of 8.60%. The company had revenue of $236.19 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $252.70 million. Northwest Natural Gas has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.750-2.950 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Northwest Natural Gas will post 2.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Northwest Natural Gas news, Director David Hugo Anderson sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.39, for a total transaction of $347,925.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 44,422 shares in the company, valued at $2,060,736.58. This represents a 14.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 42,869 shares of company stock worth $1,882,588. 0.93% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Northwest Natural Gas

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 77.4% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 807 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Northwest Natural Gas during the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Northwest Natural Gas by 44.3% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,143 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 95.6% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,344 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 657 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 24.6% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,689 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.13% of the company's stock.

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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