Northern Trust Corporation $NTRS Position Increased by Merit Financial Group LLC

Merit Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) by 111.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,056 shares of the asset manager’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,767 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Northern Trust were worth $1,237,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in NTRS. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Northern Trust in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $64,863,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Northern Trust by 67.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,019,531 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $136,750,000 after purchasing an additional 409,434 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in Northern Trust by 62.4% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,042,084 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $140,265,000 after acquiring an additional 400,247 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Northern Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $42,698,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Northern Trust by 35.3% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 833,167 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $112,144,000 after acquiring an additional 217,305 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.19% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Northern Trust

In other news, COO Peter Cherecwich sold 25,000 shares of Northern Trust stock in a transaction on Monday, January 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.62, for a total transaction of $3,740,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 26,259 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,928,871.58. This trade represents a 48.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Clive Bellows sold 1,148 shares of Northern Trust stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.26, for a total value of $166,758.48. Following the transaction, the insider owned 34,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,958,159.58. This trade represents a 3.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 34,905 shares of company stock worth $5,166,714 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on NTRS. Evercore raised their target price on Northern Trust from $142.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Northern Trust from $131.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Northern Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Northern Trust from $159.00 to $178.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded Northern Trust from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $168.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Northern Trust currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $163.55.

Northern Trust News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded NTRS to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reflecting growing optimism on earnings momentum and positioning the stock as a buy idea for momentum investors. Northern Trust (NTRS) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: Northern Trust won a major client: Sacramento County Employees’ Retirement System selected NTRS for $15 billion in asset servicing — a meaningful new mandate that should add fee revenue and credibility in institutional servicing. Northern Trust Selected by $15 Billion Sacramento County Employees’ Retirement System for Asset Servicing
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lifted forecasts and price targets after NTRS reported stronger‑than‑expected Q1 results (beat on EPS and revenue); several banks raised targets, supporting upside potential. These Analysts Increase Their Forecasts On Northern Trust After Strong Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: NTRS was added to Zacks’ list of momentum / new Strong Buy stocks, which can attract short‑term flows from retail and quant strategies. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for April 23rd
• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q1 results pushed the stock to a new one‑year high and the company reiterated shareholder returns with a quarterly dividend — positives for income and growth investors. Northern Trust Sets New 1-Year High Following Strong Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Northern Trust expanded a collaboration with Saphyre to streamline account lifecycle processes — operationally constructive but likely a gradual revenue/efficiency benefit. Northern Trust and Saphyre Expand Collaboration
• Neutral Sentiment: At the annual meeting shareholders approved the board, pay and company plans — standard governance outcomes that remove uncertainty but don’t change fundamentals materially. Northern Trust shareholders back board, pay, and plans
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have pulled back from recent highs (recent intraday declines and a reported 2.3% drop on one session), indicating short‑term profit‑taking that can overwhelm positive fundamentals in the near term. Vertiv, Northern Trust And More On CNBC’s ‘Final Trades’

Northern Trust Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NTRS stock opened at $165.39 on Friday. Northern Trust Corporation has a 1 year low of $90.05 and a 1 year high of $173.18. The stock has a market cap of $30.65 billion, a PE ratio of 17.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.23. The business’s fifty day moving average is $145.29 and its 200-day moving average is $139.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.62.

Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The asset manager reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.34. Northern Trust had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 12.84%.The company had revenue of $2.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.13 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.90 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Northern Trust Corporation will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northern Trust Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be given a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Northern Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.51%.

Northern Trust Profile

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.