Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) Trading 2.4% Higher – Should You Buy?

Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) traded up 2.4% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $42.59 and last traded at $42.67. 145,142 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 38% from the average session volume of 234,696 shares. The stock had previously closed at $41.69.

Northwest Natural Price Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $41.05 and its 200-day moving average is $40.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization of $1.71 billion, a PE ratio of 20.10 and a beta of 0.59.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 28th. The utilities provider reported $1.41 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.42 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $370.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $395.05 million. Northwest Natural had a net margin of 6.90% and a return on equity of 5.89%. Northwest Natural’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.21 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northwest Natural Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 31st were paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 31st. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.60%. Northwest Natural’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 96.55%.

Insider Activity at Northwest Natural

In related news, CEO David Hugo Anderson sold 7,500 shares of Northwest Natural stock in a transaction on Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.46, for a total value of $310,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 117,382 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,866,657.72. The trade was a 6.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 23,009 shares of company stock valued at $949,578. Insiders own 0.84% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Northwest Natural

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NWN. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC increased its holdings in Northwest Natural by 11,111.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,009 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC increased its position in Northwest Natural by 692.4% during the 3rd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 1,046 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Northwest Natural in the 3rd quarter worth about $61,000. Point72 DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Northwest Natural during the third quarter valued at about $78,000. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in Northwest Natural by 74.1% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,054 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $81,000 after buying an additional 874 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.13% of the company’s stock.

Northwest Natural Company Profile

Northwest Natural Holding Company, through its subsidiary, Northwest Natural Gas Company, provides regulated natural gas distribution services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the United States. The company operates a mist gas storage facility contracted to other utilities, third-party marketers, and electric generators; offers natural gas asset management services; and operates an appliance retail center.