Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) Short Interest Down 16.2% in April

Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 700,800 shares, a decline of 16.2% from the March 31st total of 836,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 371,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.9 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Janney Montgomery Scott began coverage on Northwest Natural in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $39.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.20.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,350,387 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $169,404,000 after acquiring an additional 65,443 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Northwest Natural by 23.7% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 910,894 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $34,760,000 after purchasing an additional 174,587 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Northwest Natural by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 465,504 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $18,127,000 after purchasing an additional 26,540 shares during the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC raised its holdings in Northwest Natural by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 448,000 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $17,445,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Northwest Natural by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 392,514 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $15,284,000 after buying an additional 4,011 shares during the last quarter. 75.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Northwest Natural Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:NWN traded down $0.09 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $38.14. 201,423 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 336,081. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.67 and a beta of 0.57. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $37.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $37.56. Northwest Natural has a 1 year low of $34.95 and a 1 year high of $48.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.70.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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). Northwest Natural had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 7.52%. The business had revenue of $355.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $368.78 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.36 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Northwest Natural will post 2.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Northwest Natural Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.488 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 29th. This represents a $1.95 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.12%. Northwest Natural’s payout ratio is currently 75.00%.

Northwest Natural Company Profile

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.