Raymond James & Associates Reduces Position in NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE)

Raymond James & Associates trimmed its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE - Free Report) by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 432,329 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,944 shares during the quarter. Raymond James & Associates owned 0.71% of NorthWestern Energy Group worth $24,738,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in NorthWestern Energy Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp bought a new position in NorthWestern Energy Group in the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in NorthWestern Energy Group during the first quarter valued at $28,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in NorthWestern Energy Group during the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, CWM LLC grew its holdings in NorthWestern Energy Group by 140.2% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 992 shares of the company's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 579 shares during the period. 96.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on NWE shares. StockNews.com cut 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 shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on NorthWestern Energy Group in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set a "buy" rating and a $65.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, NorthWestern Energy Group has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $56.14.

NorthWestern Energy Group Price Performance

NYSE NWE traded down $0.62 during trading on Friday, hitting $54.48. 377,899 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 340,710. The company has a market capitalization of $3.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.46. NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $46.15 and a 12-month high of $57.48. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $55.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.05. NorthWestern Energy Group had a net margin of 14.21% and a return on equity of 7.65%. The company had revenue of $319.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $310.40 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.35 earnings per share. NorthWestern Energy Group's quarterly revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. will post 3.54 EPS for the current year.

NorthWestern Energy Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th were given a $0.65 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.77%. NorthWestern Energy Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 75.80%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Britt E. Ide sold 688 shares of NorthWestern Energy Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.92, for a total value of $35,720.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,778 shares in the company, valued at approximately $559,593.76. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.94% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

NorthWestern Energy Group Company Profile

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.