NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE) Now Covered by Analysts at BMO Capital Markets

BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) in a report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage set a "market perform" rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets' price objective points to a potential upside of 6.97% from the company's previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Guggenheim raised NorthWestern Energy Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Barclays increased their price target on NorthWestern Energy Group from $56.00 to $59.00 and gave the company 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 target for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on NorthWestern Energy Group from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, NorthWestern Energy Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $60.21.

NorthWestern Energy Group Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE NWE traded up $0.65 on Tuesday, hitting $56.09. The company had a trading volume of 420,086 shares, compared to its average volume of 392,796. NorthWestern Energy Group has a 12-month low of $48.52 and a 12-month high of $59.89. The business has a 50 day moving average of $56.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $54.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.37, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.40.

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) last issued 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 return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 14.81%. NorthWestern Energy Group's revenue for the quarter was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.09 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that NorthWestern Energy Group will post 3.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of NWE. Dean Capital Management raised its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 65.3% during the 1st quarter. Dean Capital Management now owns 16,483 shares of the company's stock worth $954,000 after purchasing an additional 6,511 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $220,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $129,000. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $5,708,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 38.9% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 583,063 shares of the company's stock worth $33,482,000 after purchasing an additional 163,147 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.07% of the company's stock.

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.