Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) Shares Up 6.3% on Earnings Beat

Northwest Natural Gas Company (NYSE:NWN)’s stock price rose 6.3% on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $53.44 and last traded at $53.44. Approximately 276,919 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 3% from the average daily volume of 284,592 shares. The stock had previously closed at $50.27.

The utilities provider reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.36 by $0.03. Northwest Natural Gas had a net margin of 7.94% and a return on equity of 8.30%. The firm had revenue of $394.16 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $419.36 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.41 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. Northwest Natural Gas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.150 EPS.

Northwest Natural Gas Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.97 per share. This is a positive change from Northwest Natural Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 14.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Northwest Natural Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 78.49%.

Key Stories Impacting Northwest Natural Gas

Here are the key news stories impacting Northwest Natural Gas this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat — NWN reported $1.39 EPS vs. the consensus $1.36, showing continued profitability strength and helping drive the stock higher. Northwest Natural (NWN) Q4 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: FY‑2026 EPS guidance provided at $2.950–$3.150, which sits around street expectations and reduces near‑term uncertainty about earnings growth — a catalyst cited in market writeups for the share move. Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) Shares Rise on EPS Guidance Update
• Positive Sentiment: Company statement: NW Natural Holdings said it delivered record 2025 results across its businesses, supporting a constructive near‑term narrative around operational performance. NW Natural Holdings Delivers Record 2025 Results Across All Businesses
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcripts and management commentary are available for detail on rate cases, capex and margin drivers — useful for evaluating whether guidance is sustainable. Northwest Natural Holding Company (NWN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations — $394.2M reported vs. ~$419M consensus — which could raise questions about volume or commodity pass‑throughs and partially offsets the EPS beat. Northwest Natural Q4 release and materials

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NWN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Northwest Natural Gas in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Northwest Natural Gas from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Northwest Natural Gas in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $51.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northwest Natural Gas

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Northwest Natural Gas during the third quarter worth $26,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Northwest Natural Gas by 77.4% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 807 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 104.3% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 711 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 363 shares in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Northwest Natural Gas in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 44.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,143 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. 75.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Northwest Natural Gas Stock Up 5.6%

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $47.78 and a 200 day moving average of $45.86. The firm has a market cap of $2.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.16 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48.

About Northwest Natural Gas

Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE: NWN), commonly known as NW Natural, is a publicly traded energy utility primarily engaged in the distribution of natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the company operates an extensive pipeline network spanning thousands of miles across Oregon and southwest Washington. Its core business activities include gas procurement, system operation and maintenance, safety inspections and customer service support.

Dating back to the mid-19th century, Northwest Natural traces its origins to the Portland Gas Light Company, which first illuminated Portland streets with manufactured gas in 1859.