O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Buys 1,245 Shares of NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE)

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:NWE) by 18.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,869 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,245 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in NorthWestern Energy Group were worth $421,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in NorthWestern Energy Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,236,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group in the fourth quarter worth $29,978,000. River Road Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in NorthWestern Energy Group by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 2,371,931 shares of the company’s stock valued at $126,803,000 after buying an additional 136,922 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in NorthWestern Energy Group by 18.1% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 886,066 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,369,000 after buying an additional 135,611 shares during the period. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in NorthWestern Energy Group by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 443,148 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,690,000 after acquiring an additional 76,114 shares during the last quarter. 96.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NorthWestern Energy Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NWE opened at $55.67 on Friday. NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $47.48 and a fifty-two week high of $59.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $3.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $55.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $54.53.

NorthWestern Energy Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a $0.66 dividend. This is a boost from NorthWestern Energy Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. NorthWestern Energy Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 72.33%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Britt E. Ide sold 702 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.32, for a total transaction of $38,132.64. Following the sale, the director now owns 11,021 shares in the company, valued at $598,660.72. This represents a 5.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.94% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on NWE shares. Guggenheim raised shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded NorthWestern Energy Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $57.50 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $57.00 to $56.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.25.

NorthWestern Energy Group Company Profile

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.