National Grid plc (NYSE:NGG) Shares Sold by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lowered its stake in shares of National Grid plc (NYSE:NGG - Free Report) by 31.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 79,502 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 36,566 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.'s holdings in National Grid were worth $4,724,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Grid in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in shares of National Grid by 67.6% in the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 491 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of National Grid by 145.6% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 700 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in National Grid by 36.2% during the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 723 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp purchased a new stake in National Grid in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 4.68% of the company's stock.

National Grid Price Performance

NYSE NGG traded up $0.55 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $72.03. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,525,780 shares, compared to its average volume of 660,563. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 1.61. The stock has a market cap of $70.48 billion, a PE ratio of 13.85, a PEG ratio of 5.64 and a beta of 0.58. The company's 50-day moving average is $63.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $62.80. National Grid plc has a fifty-two week low of $54.24 and a fifty-two week high of $73.09.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on NGG shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised National Grid from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Grid from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of National Grid from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

National Grid Company Profile

National Grid plc transmits and distributes electricity and gas. It operates through UK Electricity Transmission, UK Electricity Distribution, UK Electricity System Operator, New England, New York, National Grid Ventures, and Other segments. The UK Electricity Transmission segment provides electricity transmission and construction work services in England and Wales.