18,400 Shares in Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) Bought by Louisiana State Employees Retirement System

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in shares of Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 18,400 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $716,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System owned about 0.05% of Northwest Natural as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new position in shares of Northwest Natural in the fourth quarter worth $138,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 125.1% in the third quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 5,113 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $195,000 after acquiring an additional 2,842 shares during the last quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY acquired a new position in shares of Northwest Natural in the fourth quarter worth $209,000. Perigon Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 5.3% in the third quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,775 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $220,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JGP Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,009 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. 75.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northwest Natural Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NWN opened at $38.32 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.74 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. Northwest Natural Holding has a 52 week low of $34.95 and a 52 week high of $48.37. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.58.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 23rd. The utilities provider reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.31 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $355.71 million during 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 in the prior year, the firm earned $1.36 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.27 EPS for the current year.

Northwest Natural Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 30th will be given a $0.488 dividend. This represents a $1.95 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.09%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 29th. Northwest Natural’s dividend payout ratio is currently 75.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Janney Montgomery Scott assumed coverage on Northwest Natural in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $39.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Northwest Natural has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $45.20.

About Northwest Natural

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.