Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) Sees Large Volume Increase Following Earnings Beat

Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) shares saw strong trading volume on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. 666,798 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 39% from the previous session’s volume of 1,084,415 shares.The stock last traded at $179.6760 and had previously closed at $185.06.

The asset manager reported $4.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $1.52. Northern Trust had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 12.84%.The business had revenue of $2.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.69 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. Northern Trust’s quarterly revenue was up 35.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Northern Trust Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.88 per share. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This is a positive change from Northern Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. Northern Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.51%.

Northern Trust News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Northern Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Northern Trust reported Q2 earnings well above estimates, with revenue also topping expectations and year-over-year growth driven by stronger fee income, net interest income, and capital markets activity. Business Wire: Northern Trust Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company increased its quarterly dividend by 10%, which investors may view as a sign of balance-sheet strength and management confidence in ongoing earnings power. TipRanks: Northern Trust posts strong Q2 results, boosts dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted improved profitability from higher assets under management and better investment-related revenue, reinforcing the view that operating trends are improving. Zacks: NTRS Q2 Earnings Beat on Higher NII & AUM Growth, Dividend Raised
• Neutral Sentiment: Several follow-up articles and a conference-call transcript were published after the release, indicating heavy investor attention but no clear new negative catalyst from the earnings call itself. Seeking Alpha: Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on NTRS shares. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Northern Trust from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $168.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research raised shares of Northern Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Northern Trust from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $178.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Northern Trust from $170.00 to $179.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Northern Trust from $176.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $178.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Northern Trust news, Director Robert Edward Jr. Moritz acquired 225 shares of Northern Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $166.41 per share, for a total transaction of $37,442.25. Following the purchase, the director owned 8,145 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,355,409.45. This represents a 2.84% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO David W. Fox, Jr. sold 19,987 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.16, for a total transaction of $3,321,039.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,588 shares in the company, valued at $3,088,582.08. The trade was a 51.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 22,800 shares of company stock valued at $3,785,251. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Northern Trust

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NTRS. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in Northern Trust by 13.3% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,112 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,984,000 after buying an additional 2,363 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP increased its position in shares of Northern Trust by 39.1% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 16,557 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,633,000 after buying an additional 4,653 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Northern Trust by 79.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,350 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $171,000 after buying an additional 596 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Northern Trust in the second quarter worth about $267,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Northern Trust by 4.6% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 29,290 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $3,714,000 after acquiring an additional 1,275 shares during the period. 83.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Northern Trust Trading Down 3.5%

The firm’s 50 day moving average is $174.20 and its 200 day moving average is $157.44. The company has a market cap of $33.06 billion, a PE ratio of 18.71, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

About Northern Trust

Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ: NTRS) is a global financial services firm headquartered in Chicago that provides asset servicing, asset management and wealth management solutions to institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals. The company’s core businesses include custody and fund administration, investment operations outsourcing, trust and fiduciary services, private banking, and retirement and defined contribution plan services.

Northern Trust’s product and service offerings span custody and fund accounting, portfolio and performance analytics, securities lending, cash management and foreign exchange, as well as discretionary and non-discretionary investment management.