Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume After Strong Earnings

Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. 666,798 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 39% from the previous session’s volume of 1,084,415 shares.The stock last traded at $179.6760 and had previously closed at $185.06.

The asset manager reported $4.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $1.52. The company had revenue of $2.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.69 billion. Northern Trust had a net margin of 12.84% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 35.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.13 EPS.

Northern Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be paid a $0.88 dividend. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This is an increase from Northern Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. Northern Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.51%.

Trending Headlines about Northern Trust

Here are the key news stories impacting Northern Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Northern Trust beat Q2 earnings estimates, with EPS of $2.97 to $4.23 depending on the report source, above consensus, while revenue came in around $2.71 billion versus expectations near $2.69 billion. The results also showed solid year-over-year growth, with revenue up 35.1% and earnings well ahead of last year’s $2.13 per share. Article: Northern Trust Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company said Q2 revenue was lifted by stronger fees, capital markets activity, and net interest income, suggesting multiple business lines are contributing to growth. Article: Northern Trust’s Q2 revenue up on fees, capital markets, net interest income
• Positive Sentiment: Northern Trust also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.88 from $0.80, a 10% increase, which signals management confidence in cash generation and shareholder returns. Article: Northern Trust posts strong Q2 results, boosts dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: The company released its full second-quarter 2026 financial results and hosted its earnings call, but these items mainly confirm the already reported beat and do not add new material surprise. Article: Northern Trust Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NTRS has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup raised their price objective on Northern Trust from $162.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Bank of America increased their target price on Northern Trust from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays raised their price target on Northern Trust from $160.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Northern Trust from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $168.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Northern Trust from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $178.75.

Insider Activity

In other Northern Trust news, CFO David W. Fox, Jr. sold 19,987 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $166.16, for a total value of $3,321,039.92. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,588 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,088,582.08. This trade represents a 51.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert Edward Jr. Moritz acquired 225 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $166.41 per share, for a total transaction of $37,442.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,145 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,355,409.45. This trade represents a 2.84% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 22,800 shares of company stock valued at $3,785,251. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northern Trust

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of NTRS. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Northern Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new position in Northern Trust during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Northern Trust by 99.0% in the 1st quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 203 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Northern Trust in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Northern Trust during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.19% of the company’s stock.

Northern Trust Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average of $173.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $157.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

About Northern Trust

Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ: NTRS) is a global financial services firm headquartered in Chicago that provides asset servicing, asset management and wealth management solutions to institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals. The company’s core businesses include custody and fund administration, investment operations outsourcing, trust and fiduciary services, private banking, and retirement and defined contribution plan services.

Northern Trust’s product and service offerings span custody and fund accounting, portfolio and performance analytics, securities lending, cash management and foreign exchange, as well as discretionary and non-discretionary investment management.