Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Sells 135,306 Shares of Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN)

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN - Free Report) by 49.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 136,221 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 135,306 shares during the quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned 0.34% of Northwest Natural worth $5,389,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of NWN. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC boosted its stake in Northwest Natural by 11,111.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,009 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 692.4% in 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 in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Northwest Natural during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $61,000. Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Northwest Natural during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $78,000. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its stake in Northwest Natural by 74.1% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,054 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 874 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.13% of the company's stock.

Northwest Natural Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NWN traded up $0.19 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $43.35. 235,033 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 234,602. Northwest Natural Holding has a one year low of $34.82 and a one year high of $44.25. The stock has a market cap of $1.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.45 and a beta of 0.59. 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 stock's 50-day moving average price is $41.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $40.75.

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Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 28th. The utilities provider reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by ($0.01). Northwest Natural had a return on equity of 5.89% and a net margin of 6.90%. The firm had revenue of $370.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $395.05 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.21 EPS. Northwest Natural's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northwest Natural Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 31st were given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.52%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 31st. Northwest Natural's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 96.55%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP David A. Weber sold 2,183 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.46, for a total transaction of $92,690.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 255 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,827.30. This trade represents a 89.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO David Hugo Anderson sold 7,500 shares of Northwest Natural stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.97, for a total value of $307,275.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 130,242 shares in the company, valued at $5,336,014.74. The trade was a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 25,192 shares of company stock valued at $1,042,268. Insiders own 0.84% of the company's stock.

About Northwest Natural

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.