Short Interest in Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) Rises By 14.9%

Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 893,700 shares, a growth of 14.9% from the January 15th total of 777,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 215,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.2 days.

Northwest Natural Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NWN opened at $40.68 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $1.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.19 and a beta of 0.62. Northwest Natural has a twelve month low of $34.82 and a twelve month high of $44.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The company has a 50 day moving average of $40.08 and a 200 day moving average of $40.20.

Northwest Natural Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 31st were paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.82%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 31st. Northwest Natural’s dividend payout ratio is currently 92.45%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Northwest Natural from $45.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 14th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northwest Natural

In other news, CEO David Hugo Anderson sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.78, for a total value of $298,350.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 144,298 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,740,174.44. This represents a 4.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.84% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northwest Natural

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Northwest Natural by 36.5% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 37,925 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,500,000 after buying an additional 10,132 shares during the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Northwest Natural in the fourth quarter worth approximately $186,000. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northwest Natural during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,161,000. Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Northwest Natural by 28.9% during the fourth quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 95,623 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,783,000 after purchasing an additional 21,459 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Northwest Natural by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 36,271 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,435,000 after purchasing an additional 2,599 shares during the last quarter. 75.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.