NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 3.680-3.830 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 3.820. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NWE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on NorthWestern Energy Group from $53.00 to $52.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Barclays increased their target price on NorthWestern Energy Group from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on NorthWestern Energy Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, NorthWestern Energy Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $60.20.

NorthWestern Energy Group Price Performance

NWE stock opened at $69.68 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $66.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $62.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.34. NorthWestern Energy Group has a 1 year low of $50.46 and a 1 year high of $71.25.

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.02). NorthWestern Energy Group had a return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 14.81%.NorthWestern Energy Group’s quarterly revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.13 EPS. NorthWestern Energy Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.680-3.830 EPS. Analysts anticipate that NorthWestern Energy Group will post 3.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NorthWestern Energy Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. This is a boost from NorthWestern Energy Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. NorthWestern Energy Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 74.79%.

Key Stories Impacting NorthWestern Energy Group

Here are the key news stories impacting NorthWestern Energy Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend raised to $0.67 (record Mar 13, pay Mar 31), a 1.5% increase that lifts yield to about 3.9% and supports income-oriented investors.
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets bumped its price target from $65 to $70 and set a “market perform” rating, signaling modest upside confidence. The Fly
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a $3.21B capital plan and a 5% EPS growth target as merger and data-center deals advance — a multi-year growth plan that could support future rate base and earnings expansion. MSN
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and transcript posted (useful for detail on guidance, rate case and M&A commentary). Yahoo Earnings Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 2025 earnings call transcript available for deeper read on drivers of results and management commentary. Seeking Alpha
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target to $52 and assigned an “underweight” rating, signaling a sizable downside view versus the current price and likely weighing on sentiment. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS of $1.17 missed consensus by $0.02 (vs $1.19); revenue rose ~10.9% but the small EPS miss and higher operating expenses are near-term negatives. MarketBeat
• Negative Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance set at $3.680–3.830, slightly below consensus (~3.82), which tempers upside expectations for the year.
• Negative Sentiment: 2025 annual results showed net income fell to $181.1M ($2.94/share) from $224.1M ($3.65/share) a year earlier, mainly due to higher operating expenses and regulatory disallowances — a material earnings decline that investors should monitor. Business Wire

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NorthWestern Energy Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 263.3% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 436 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 3,221.4% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 465 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 451 shares during the period. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 34.3% during the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 845 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 31.1% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

About NorthWestern Energy Group

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE: NWE) is a regulated energy utility company based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The company delivers electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers across a service territory that spans Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, NorthWestern Corporation, it operates a diversified portfolio of generation assets, including thermal, hydroelectric and renewable facilities, as well as an extensive network of transmission and distribution lines.

NorthWestern Energy’s primary business activities encompass the delivery, transmission and sale of electric and natural gas services.