NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE) Receives $59.92 Average Price Target from Analysts

Shares of NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the seven research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $60.25.

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

NorthWestern Energy Group Stock Performance

Shares of NorthWestern Energy Group stock remained flat at $58.20 during trading hours on Tuesday. The stock had a trading volume of 360,124 shares, compared to its average volume of 385,415. The company has a market cap of $3.57 billion, a PE ratio of 15.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.52. NorthWestern Energy Group has a twelve month low of $48.52 and a twelve month high of $59.89. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $56.65 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $54.79.

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

NorthWestern Energy Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be given a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.54%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. NorthWestern Energy Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 72.33%.

Insider Activity

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NorthWestern Energy Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 391.6% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 999,884 shares of the company's stock worth $53,454,000 after purchasing an additional 796,500 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in NorthWestern Energy Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,236,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,978,000. DRW Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $11,275,000. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its position in NorthWestern Energy Group by 24.7% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 752,441 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,225,000 after purchasing an additional 148,870 shares during the last quarter. 96.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NorthWestern Energy Group Company Profile

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.