NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE) Receives $60.00 Average Price Target from Brokerages

NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the eight analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $60.00.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on NWE shares. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on NorthWestern Energy Group in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH restated a "neutral" rating and set a $56.00 price objective (down previously from $57.50) on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. Barclays raised their price objective on NorthWestern Energy Group from $56.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on NorthWestern Energy Group from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st.

NorthWestern Energy Group Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NWE stock traded down $0.23 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $50.85. The company had a trading volume of 761,878 shares, compared to its average volume of 410,319. 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 has a market capitalization of $3.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.37. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $55.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $54.63.

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.04. NorthWestern Energy Group had a return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 14.81%. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.09 earnings per share. The company's revenue was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 13th. NorthWestern Energy Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 68.75%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 514 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in NorthWestern Energy Group by 91.9% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 971 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in NorthWestern Energy Group by 280.7% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,203 shares of the company's stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 887 shares during the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $73,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $92,000. Institutional investors own 96.07% of the company's stock.

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.