Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) Sets New 52-Week High - Time to Buy?

Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $44.49 and last traded at $42.74, with a volume of 13446 shares. The stock had previously closed at $43.20.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Northwest Natural from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday.

Northwest Natural Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $42.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $41.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.55 and a beta of 0.56.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.19. Northwest Natural had a return on equity of 5.89% and a net margin of 6.90%. The business had revenue of $494.28 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $464.65 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.69 earnings per share. Northwest Natural's revenue was up 14.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northwest Natural Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.50%. Northwest Natural's dividend payout ratio is presently 96.55%.

Insider Transactions at Northwest Natural

In other news, VP David A. Weber sold 2,183 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.46, for a total transaction of $92,690.18. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 255 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,827.30. This trade represents a 89.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO David Hugo Anderson sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.97, for a total transaction of $307,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 130,242 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,336,014.74. The trade was a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 25,192 shares of company stock worth $1,054,793. Company insiders own 0.93% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northwest Natural

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NWN. Abound Wealth Management bought a new stake in Northwest Natural during the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. MCF Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Northwest Natural in the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its position in Northwest Natural by 11,111.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,009 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Northwest Natural during the 3rd quarter valued at about $61,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Northwest Natural by 24.6% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,689 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.13% of the company's stock.

About Northwest Natural

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.