Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the sixteen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $142.4615.

A number of research firms have weighed in on NTRS. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Northern Trust from $136.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Northern Trust from $139.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Northern Trust in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Northern Trust from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Truist Financial set a $148.00 price objective on Northern Trust in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northern Trust

In other news, EVP Susan Cohen Levy sold 27,591 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.13, for a total value of $3,535,234.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 48,257 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,183,169.41. The trade was a 36.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider John Landers sold 766 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.35, for a total transaction of $95,252.10. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,313 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $909,371.55. This represents a 9.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.77% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northern Trust

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NTRS. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Northern Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Northern Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Northern Trust by 5,225.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 213 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 209 shares during the last quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Northern Trust by 87.4% in the second quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 208 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new stake in Northern Trust in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 83.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Northern Trust Price Performance

Shares of Northern Trust stock opened at $148.63 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $137.87 and its 200 day moving average is $131.83. Northern Trust has a one year low of $81.62 and a one year high of $157.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market cap of $28.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.27.

Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The asset manager reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.05. Northern Trust had a return on equity of 14.87% and a net margin of 12.15%.The business had revenue of $3.15 billion during the quarter. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.26 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Northern Trust will post 8.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Northern Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $0.80 dividend. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Northern Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.30%.

Key Headlines Impacting Northern Trust

Here are the key news stories impacting Northern Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results topped estimates — Northern Trust reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results with year-over-year net interest income and asset growth helping revenue and EPS beat consensus, a core bullish catalyst for the stock. Q4 Beat: Zacks
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted record NII and raised targets on the earnings call — the company pointed to higher net interest income and stronger fee/servicing trends on the call, which prompted some analysts to lift forecasts. Earnings Call Summary: TipRanks
• Positive Sentiment: RBC raised its price target to $159 and moved to an outperform view — a bullish analyst action that signals upside expectations following the quarter. RBC Raise: The Fly
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved/announced quarterly dividend — Northern Trust declared a quarterly dividend of $0.80 (record March 6), supporting income-oriented investor interest.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several firms nudged up targets but kept neutral/in-line ratings (Evercore to $155 in-line; Wells Fargo to $150 equal weight) — these moves recognize better results but stop short of a strong buy endorsement. Evercore: TickerReport Wells Fargo: TickerReport
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its target to $140 but kept an “underweight” rating — the firm’s stance signals limited confidence in near-term upside and likely contributed to selling pressure. MS PT Change: Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Costs and valuation concerns persist — several write-ups note elevated expenses are trimming margin expansion and that valuation may be rich after the run, which can temper enthusiasm despite the beat. Valuation Concerns: Seeking Alpha

About Northern Trust

Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ: NTRS) is a global financial services firm headquartered in Chicago that provides asset servicing, asset management and wealth management solutions to institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals. The company’s core businesses include custody and fund administration, investment operations outsourcing, trust and fiduciary services, private banking, and retirement and defined contribution plan services.

Northern Trust’s product and service offerings span custody and fund accounting, portfolio and performance analytics, securities lending, cash management and foreign exchange, as well as discretionary and non-discretionary investment management.