NorthWestern Corporation (NASDAQ:NWE) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts have a consensus rating of Hold on NorthWestern from six firms (1 sell, 2 hold, 3 buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $64.10, while recent broker moves range from upgrades (Ladenburg Thalm/SH to Buy, $75.50 target) to cuts (Wells Fargo to $52, Underweight).
• Shares trade around $67.59 versus a 50‑day MA of $68.01 and 200‑day MA of $65.03; market cap is $4.16B, P/E 22.99, beta 0.32, and a 1‑year range of $50.46–$72.21.
• Latest quarter: EPS $1.17 missed estimates by $0.02 while revenue rose 10.9% year‑over‑year, and the company pays a $0.67 quarterly dividend (annualized yield 4.0%) with a payout ratio of 91.16%.

Shares of NorthWestern Corporation (NASDAQ:NWE - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the six research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $64.10.

Several brokerages recently commented on NWE. Barclays upped their price target on shares of NorthWestern from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of NorthWestern from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised shares of NorthWestern from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $56.00 to $75.50 in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on NorthWestern from $53.00 to $52.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on NorthWestern from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th.

NorthWestern Stock Performance

Shares of NWE opened at $67.59 on Monday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $68.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.32. NorthWestern has a 1-year low of $50.46 and a 1-year high of $72.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10.

NorthWestern (NASDAQ:NWE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.02). NorthWestern had a net margin of 11.24% and a return on equity of 7.62%. The firm had revenue of $414.26 million for the quarter. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.13 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis.

NorthWestern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. NorthWestern's dividend payout ratio is currently 91.16%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NorthWestern

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of NorthWestern by 263.3% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 436 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in NorthWestern by 142.0% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 455 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in NorthWestern by 3,221.4% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 465 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 451 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its stake in NorthWestern by 1,220.0% in the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 528 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 488 shares during the period. Finally, PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. acquired a new position in NorthWestern in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.07% of the company's stock.

NorthWestern Company Profile

NorthWestern Corporation NASDAQ: NWE is a regulated energy company that delivers electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Through its Electric Operations and Gas Operations segments, the company operates an extensive network of distribution lines, substations and pipelines. NorthWestern's services encompass the delivery of power sourced from regional transmission systems and the procurement, storage and distribution of natural gas to end users.

Electric delivery services include the management of distribution infrastructure, customer metering and system reliability programs.

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