Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) Given New $50.00 Price Target at Wells Fargo & Company

Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) had its target price raised by Wells Fargo & Company from $49.00 to $50.00 in a research report report published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Northwest Natural Gas in a report on Friday. Truist Financial started coverage on Northwest Natural Gas in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $54.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho initiated coverage on Northwest Natural Gas in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $51.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Northwest Natural Gas to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Northwest Natural Gas from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, October 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $55.43.

Northwest Natural Gas Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of Northwest Natural Gas stock traded down $0.08 on Friday, hitting $51.73. The company had a trading volume of 404,873 shares, compared to its average volume of 264,320. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.13 and a beta of 0.41. Northwest Natural Gas has a twelve month low of $45.69 and a twelve month high of $55.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $48.77 and a 200-day moving average of $50.18.

Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The utilities provider reported ($0.71) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.88) by $0.17. The business had revenue of $177.97 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $176.40 million. Northwest Natural Gas had a net margin of 9.75% and a return on equity of 8.33%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted ($0.73) earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Northwest Natural Gas will post 3.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Northwest Natural Gas Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.9%. This is a boost from Northwest Natural Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.4925. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. Northwest Natural Gas’s payout ratio is currently 66.67%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Northwest Natural Gas news, Director David Anderson sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.71, for a total transaction of $73,065.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 47,759 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,326,340.89. The trade was a 3.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders sold 4,500 shares of company stock valued at $221,400 in the last ninety days. 0.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northwest Natural Gas

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NWN. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in Northwest Natural Gas by 3.2% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 26,501 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,237,000 after acquiring an additional 817 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 14.4% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 35,286 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,647,000 after purchasing an additional 4,429 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural Gas by 95.4% in the 3rd quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 25,000 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,167,000 after purchasing an additional 12,205 shares during the period. Penn Capital Management Company LLC lifted its stake in Northwest Natural Gas by 42.2% in the 3rd quarter. Penn Capital Management Company LLC now owns 61,701 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,880,000 after purchasing an additional 18,314 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Northwest Natural Gas by 28.3% in the 3rd quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC now owns 1,230 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 271 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.13% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Northwest Natural Gas

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northwest Natural raised its 2026 EPS guidance to $3.10–$3.20, citing a SiEnergy rate settlement and cost controls. The higher outlook may support investor confidence in earnings growth. Article: Northwest Natural raises 2026 EPS guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter results also exceeded estimates: the net loss was $0.71 per share versus analysts’ expected $0.88 loss, while revenue of $177.97 million topped forecasts and grew 8% year over year. Article: Northwest Natural Q3 results
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target from $49 to $50 but maintained an “equal weight” rating. The new target is still below the prevailing share price, suggesting limited upside in the firm’s view and potentially weighing on sentiment. Wells Fargo ratings

About Northwest Natural Gas

Northwest Natural Gas Company, operating as NW Natural and a subsidiary of Northwest Natural Holding Company, is an energy and utility company headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Its principal business is the distribution of natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

NW Natural serves communities primarily in Oregon and southwest Washington through a regulated natural gas distribution system. The company also provides related services, including natural gas storage and programs focused on renewable natural gas and other lower-carbon energy solutions.

The company traces its history to 1859 and has expanded beyond its traditional natural gas operations through investments in water and wastewater utilities.