Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) Shares Sold by Raymond James & Associates

Raymond James & Associates reduced its position in shares of Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) by 4.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,551 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 961 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates owned approximately 0.06% of Northwest Natural worth $839,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Legato Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 638.6% in the 4th quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC now owns 55,722 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,170,000 after purchasing an additional 48,178 shares in the last quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Northwest Natural by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,009 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $234,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 27.9% during the 4th quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 45,000 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,752,000 after acquiring an additional 9,820 shares in the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 16.7% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 9,934 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $387,000 after acquiring an additional 1,418 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 104,559 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,072,000 after purchasing an additional 4,911 shares during the last quarter. 75.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Northwest Natural Stock Performance

Shares of Northwest Natural stock opened at $38.00 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a PE ratio of 14.62 and a beta of 0.57. Northwest Natural Holding has a 12 month low of $34.95 and a 12 month high of $48.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.58.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 23rd. The utilities provider reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.31 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $355.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $368.78 million. Northwest Natural had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 7.52%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.36 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northwest Natural Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 30th will be given a $0.488 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 29th. This represents a $1.95 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.14%. Northwest Natural’s payout ratio is 75.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Janney Montgomery Scott initiated coverage on Northwest Natural in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $39.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.20.

Northwest Natural Profile

Northwest Natural Holding Company, through its subsidiary, Northwest Natural Gas Company, provides regulated natural gas distribution services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the United States. The company operates a mist gas storage facility contracted to other utilities, third-party marketers, and electric generators; offers natural gas asset management services; and operates an appliance retail center.