NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the seven brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $60.25.

A number of research firms have issued reports on NWE. Guggenheim upgraded NorthWestern Energy Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Barclays lifted their target price on NorthWestern Energy Group from $56.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised NorthWestern Energy Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $57.50 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday.

Insider Activity

In other NorthWestern Energy Group news, Director Britt E. Ide sold 702 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.32, for a total transaction of $38,132.64. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 11,021 shares in the company, valued at approximately $598,660.72. This trade represents a 5.99 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.94% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NorthWestern Energy Group

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. S.A. Mason LLC acquired a new position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its position in NorthWestern Energy Group by 29.3% in the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 883 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in NorthWestern Energy Group by 155.3% during the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 845 shares of the company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 514 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 91.9% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 971 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. 96.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NorthWestern Energy Group Stock Performance

NYSE NWE remained flat at $58.20 during mid-day trading on Tuesday. 360,124 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 386,165. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.57 billion, a PE ratio of 15.95, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.37. NorthWestern Energy Group has a 1 year low of $48.52 and a 1 year high of $59.89. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $56.65 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $54.77.

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.04. NorthWestern Energy Group had a net margin of 14.81% and a return on equity of 7.40%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that NorthWestern Energy Group will post 3.63 EPS for the current year.

NorthWestern Energy Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be paid a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.54%. NorthWestern Energy Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.75%.

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.