NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE) Stock Position Raised by Van ECK Associates Corp

Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE) by 8.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,006 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,466 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in NorthWestern Energy Group were worth $1,016,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. S.A. Mason LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the third quarter worth $35,000. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the third quarter worth $45,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc boosted its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 29.3% in the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 883 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 51.7% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,000 after buying an additional 513 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

NorthWestern Energy Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NWE opened at $53.92 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $47.22 and a 1 year high of $57.49. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $54.11. The firm has a market cap of $3.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.48.

NorthWestern Energy Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.90%. This is a positive change from NorthWestern Energy Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. NorthWestern Energy Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 71.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on NWE. Barclays decreased their target price on NorthWestern Energy Group from $57.00 to $56.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Guggenheim raised NorthWestern Energy Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised NorthWestern Energy Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $57.50 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.25.

Insider Buying and Selling at NorthWestern Energy Group

In other NorthWestern Energy Group news, Director Britt E. Ide sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.57, for a total transaction of $37,499.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,888 shares in the company, valued at $583,270.16. This trade represents a 6.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Anthony Thomas Clark sold 7,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.95, for a total value of $384,430.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 16,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $873,591.20. This trade represents a 30.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.94% of the company’s stock.

About NorthWestern Energy Group

NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc provides electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and various industrial customers. It generates, purchases, transmits, and distributes electricity; and produces, purchases, stores, transmits, and distributes natural gas, as well as owns municipal franchises to provide natural gas service in the communities.