Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) Stock Price Up 2.4% - What's Next?

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

Northwest Natural Stock Up 0.6 %

The firm has a market cap of $1.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.27 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $41.10 and a 200-day moving average of $40.72.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 28th. The utilities provider reported $1.41 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 company had revenue of $370.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $395.05 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.21 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northwest Natural Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 31st were given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 31st. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.56%. Northwest Natural's dividend payout ratio is 96.55%.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Northwest Natural

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NWN. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its position 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 worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 692.4% during the third 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 third quarter worth about $61,000. Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Northwest Natural in the third quarter valued at approximately $78,000. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 874 shares during the last quarter. 75.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.