NorthWestern (NASDAQ:NWE) Issues Earnings Results

NorthWestern (NASDAQ:NWE) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by ($0.15), FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $427.00 million during the quarter. NorthWestern had a return on equity of 8.03% and a net margin of 10.13%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.79 EPS.

NorthWestern Stock Performance

Shares of NorthWestern stock traded up $0.57 during trading on Friday, reaching $82.59. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 475,370 shares, compared to its average volume of 520,221. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.83. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $72.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $70.67. The firm has a market cap of $5.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.29. NorthWestern has a one year low of $62.48 and a one year high of $84.18.

NorthWestern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 17th will be given a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 17th. NorthWestern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 96.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on NWE. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on NorthWestern in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $85.00 price objective for the company. Barclays dropped their target price on NorthWestern from $73.00 to $70.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on NorthWestern from $76.00 to $73.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded NorthWestern from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $70.00 to $90.00 in a report on Monday, October 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised NorthWestern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $77.25.

Institutional Trading of NorthWestern

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of NorthWestern by 0.6% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,023,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,472,000 after acquiring an additional 5,815 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of NorthWestern by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 803,467 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,981,000 after purchasing an additional 36,747 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in shares of NorthWestern in the 1st quarter worth about $43,340,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its holdings in shares of NorthWestern by 26.8% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 277,545 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,878,000 after purchasing an additional 58,577 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of NorthWestern by 69.3% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 225,164 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,847,000 after purchasing an additional 92,134 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting NorthWestern

Here are the key news stories impacting NorthWestern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: NorthWestern reaffirmed its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $3.68–$3.83, which may reassure investors after the quarterly earnings shortfall. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, equivalent to $2.68 annually and a 3.3% yield. NorthWestern affirms 2026 EPS guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: The planned Black Hills merger remains targeted for year-end 2026. Its timing is a potential catalyst, though closing and execution remain considerations for investors. Merger timing and guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted Q3 EPS of $0.58 fell short of the $0.73 analyst consensus and was below $0.79 a year earlier. Revenue rose 9.5% to $427 million, but net income declined to $30.7 million from $38.2 million, partly due to a loss tied to additional ownership interests in Colstrip Units 3 and 4. The earnings miss may weigh on sentiment despite revenue growth. NorthWestern Energy Q3 financial results

About NorthWestern

NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc, doing business as NorthWestern Energy, is a regulated electric and natural gas utility headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The company generates, purchases, transmits and distributes electricity, and provides natural gas distribution and related services to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers.

NorthWestern Energy serves customers primarily in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Its operations include electric generation facilities and transmission and distribution networks, as well as natural gas pipelines and distribution systems.