Barclays PLC Raises Position in Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN)

Barclays PLC increased its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) by 17.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 74,863 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,160 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned 0.19% of Northwest Natural worth $2,962,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Northwest Natural during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,151,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Northwest Natural during the fourth quarter valued at about $252,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in Northwest Natural in the fourth quarter worth about $609,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 15.8% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 33,286 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,317,000 after buying an additional 4,554 shares during the period. Finally, Foundry Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Northwest Natural by 23.6% during the 4th quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 153,459 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $6,071,000 after buying an additional 29,297 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.13% of the company’s stock.

Northwest Natural Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NWN opened at $43.79 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Northwest Natural Holding has a 1-year low of $34.82 and a 1-year high of $44.38. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $41.95 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.10. The company has a market capitalization of $1.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.66 and a beta of 0.56.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 28th. The utilities provider reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.42 by ($0.01). Northwest Natural had a return on equity of 5.89% and a net margin of 6.90%. The business had revenue of $370.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $395.05 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.21 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northwest Natural Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.48%. Northwest Natural’s dividend payout ratio is 96.55%.

Insider Activity at Northwest Natural

In related news, VP David A. Weber sold 2,183 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.46, for a total value of $92,690.18. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,827.30. The trade was a 89.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Hugo Anderson sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.00, for a total transaction of $322,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 109,882 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,724,926. This trade represents a 6.39 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 25,192 shares of company stock valued at $1,054,793. Corporate insiders own 0.84% of the company’s stock.

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.