NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE - Free Report) by 25.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 171,362 shares of the company's stock after selling 58,668 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.28% of NorthWestern Energy Group worth $9,805,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in NorthWestern Energy Group in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the third quarter valued at about $286,000. Passumpsic Savings Bank acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group during the third quarter worth about $610,000. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in NorthWestern Energy Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $279,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in NorthWestern Energy Group by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,536,518 shares of the company's stock worth $87,935,000 after buying an additional 35,279 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on NWE shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $56.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Mizuho increased their price target on NorthWestern Energy Group from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Bank of America assumed coverage on NorthWestern Energy Group in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $65.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com lowered NorthWestern Energy Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on NorthWestern Energy Group from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, NorthWestern Energy Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $57.50.

NorthWestern Energy Group Price Performance

NYSE NWE traded down $0.09 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $53.46. The company's stock had a trading volume of 401,751 shares, compared to its average volume of 352,667. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.30. NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $46.15 and a 1-year high of $57.49. The company's 50-day moving average is $53.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.48.

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.70 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $345.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $344.06 million. NorthWestern Energy Group had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 7.95%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.49 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. will post 3.39 EPS for the current year.

NorthWestern Energy Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be given a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.86%. NorthWestern Energy Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.08%.

Insider Activity at NorthWestern Energy Group

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

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.