Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Buys 1,120 Shares of Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN)

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its stake in Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) by 21.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,233 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,120 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Northwest Natural were worth $243,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Spirit of America Management Corp NY raised its position in shares of Northwest Natural by 52.0% during the 3rd quarter. Spirit of America Management Corp NY now owns 1,900 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 650 shares during the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale bought a new stake in shares of Northwest Natural during the 4th quarter valued at $138,000. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY bought a new stake in shares of Northwest Natural during the 4th quarter valued at $209,000. Perigon Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Northwest Natural by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,775 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $220,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JGP Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Northwest Natural by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,009 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $234,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Janney Montgomery Scott initiated coverage on shares of Northwest Natural in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $39.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $45.20.

Northwest Natural Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of NWN stock opened at $38.33 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.86. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $36.99 and its 200-day moving average is $37.59. The stock has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.74 and a beta of 0.57. Northwest Natural Holding has a 52-week low of $34.95 and a 52-week high of $48.37.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 23rd. The utilities provider reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.31 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $355.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 previous year, the company posted $1.36 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.27 EPS for the current year.

Northwest Natural Announces Dividend

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

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.