Wells Fargo & Company MN Acquires 17,336 Shares of NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE)

Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its position in NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE - Free Report) by 24.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 86,827 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 17,336 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned approximately 0.14% of NorthWestern Energy Group worth $4,642,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group during the fourth quarter worth $401,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 14.0% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 22,989 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,229,000 after acquiring an additional 2,828 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 204.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 110,571 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,327,000 after acquiring an additional 74,278 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in NorthWestern Energy Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $286,000. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. acquired a new position in NorthWestern Energy Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $262,000. 96.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

NorthWestern Energy Group Stock Performance

NWE stock traded down $0.55 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $57.96. 55,370 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 380,687. NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $48.52 and a 1-year high of $60.00. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $56.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.55 billion, a PE ratio of 15.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.33.

NorthWestern Energy Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were given a dividend of $0.66 per share. This is a boost from NorthWestern Energy Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.55%. NorthWestern Energy Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 72.33%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NWE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded NorthWestern Energy Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $57.50 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $56.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Guggenheim raised shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on NorthWestern Energy Group from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $59.92.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Britt E. Ide sold 702 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.32, for a total value of $38,132.64. Following the transaction, the director now owns 11,021 shares in the company, valued at approximately $598,660.72. This trade represents a 5.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.94% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About NorthWestern Energy Group

NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc provides electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and various industrial customers. It generates, purchases, transmits, and distributes electricity; and produces, purchases, stores, transmits, and distributes natural gas, as well as owns municipal franchises to provide natural gas service in the communities.