NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $50.50.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on NI. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of NiSource from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on NiSource from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays boosted their target price on NiSource from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. KeyCorp began coverage on NiSource in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $52.00 price target for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $51.00 price target on shares of NiSource in a research note on Monday, April 20th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Melanie B. Berman sold 15,000 shares of NiSource stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.68, for a total value of $715,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 35,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,716,003.20. The trade was a 29.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Melody Birmingham sold 2,500 shares of NiSource stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.43, for a total transaction of $118,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 116,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,503,587.48. The trade was a 2.11% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 27,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,305,675 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.37% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NiSource

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its stake in shares of NiSource by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 15,171 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $634,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its position in NiSource by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 18,864 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $788,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the period. Choreo LLC boosted its position in NiSource by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 8,769 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $369,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC grew its holdings in NiSource by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 15,247 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $637,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prosperity Consulting Group LLC grew its holdings in NiSource by 1.1% during the third quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 23,565 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,020,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. 91.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

NiSource Stock Performance

Shares of NI opened at $47.70 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $22.87 billion, a PE ratio of 23.73, a PEG ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.65. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $47.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $45.79. NiSource has a 52 week low of $38.45 and a 52 week high of $49.21.

NiSource (NYSE:NI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06. The company had revenue of $2.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.52 billion. NiSource had a net margin of 14.15% and a return on equity of 8.31%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.85 EPS. NiSource has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.070 EPS. Research analysts expect that NiSource will post 2.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

NiSource Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. NiSource’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.70%.

NiSource Company Profile

NiSource, Inc (NYSE: NI) is a publicly traded energy holding company headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana, that primarily owns and operates regulated local gas and electric utilities in the United States. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company delivers natural gas and electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers and provides the associated distribution and transmission services that keep local energy systems functioning.

The company’s core activities include natural gas distribution, electric transmission and distribution, system operations, maintenance and emergency response.