Grace & White Inc. NY Acquires 21,495 Shares of Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN)

Grace & White Inc. NY boosted its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) by 32.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 88,259 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 21,495 shares during the quarter. Grace & White Inc. NY owned 0.24% of Northwest Natural worth $3,437,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. JGP Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Northwest Natural by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,009 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Magellan Asset Management Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Magellan Asset Management Ltd now owns 22,787 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $870,000 after purchasing an additional 282 shares during the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,775 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $220,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Spirit of America Management Corp NY boosted its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 52.0% in 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 purchasing an additional 650 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Northwest Natural in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. 75.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Northwest Natural Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of Northwest Natural stock traded up $0.30 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $38.30. 257,261 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 341,821. 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 Holding has a 1-year low of $34.95 and a 1-year high of $48.37. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $36.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $37.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.46 billion, a PE ratio of 14.70 and a beta of 0.57.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) last released 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). Northwest Natural had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 7.52%. The company had revenue of $355.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $368.78 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.36 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northwest Natural Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 30th will be given a dividend of $0.488 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 29th. This represents a $1.95 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.10%. Northwest Natural’s payout ratio is presently 75.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Northwest Natural has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $45.20.

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.