NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE) Upgraded by Guggenheim to Buy Rating

Guggenheim upgraded shares of NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE - Free Report) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on NWE. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded NorthWestern Energy Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $57.50 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Mizuho upped their price target on NorthWestern Energy Group from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, NorthWestern Energy Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $59.42.

NorthWestern Energy Group Stock Up 1.2 %

NYSE:NWE traded up $0.62 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $53.97. The company had a trading volume of 355,323 shares, compared to its average volume of 304,559. NorthWestern Energy Group has a 12-month low of $46.15 and a 12-month high of $57.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.55, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $53.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $53.91.

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.70 by ($0.05). NorthWestern Energy Group had a return on equity of 7.95% and a net margin of 15.15%. The firm had revenue of $345.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $344.06 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.49 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that NorthWestern Energy Group will post 3.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NorthWestern Energy Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 13th were given a $0.65 dividend. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.82%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 13th. NorthWestern Energy Group's payout ratio is 70.08%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Britt E. Ide sold 700 shares of NorthWestern Energy Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.57, for a total transaction of $37,499.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 10,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $583,270.16. This trade represents a 6.04 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Anthony Thomas Clark sold 7,400 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.95, for a total value of $384,430.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 16,816 shares in the company, valued at $873,591.20. This trade represents a 30.56 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.94% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NWE. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in NorthWestern Energy Group during the third quarter worth $26,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc lifted its stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 29.3% during the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 883 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC boosted its position in NorthWestern Energy Group by 150.0% during the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 1,000 shares of the company's stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. 96.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.