NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.02 EPS

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE:NWE) released its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.02), Briefing.com reports. NorthWestern Energy Group had a return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 14.81%.The business’s revenue was up 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.13 EPS. NorthWestern Energy Group updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.680-3.830 EPS.

NorthWestern Energy Group Price Performance

NYSE NWE traded up $0.89 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $69.68. The company had a trading volume of 530,805 shares, compared to its average volume of 630,484. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $4.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.09, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.34. NorthWestern Energy Group has a 52 week low of $50.46 and a 52 week high of $71.25. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $62.07.

NorthWestern Energy Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This is a positive change from NorthWestern Energy Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. NorthWestern Energy Group’s payout ratio is currently 74.79%.

Trending Headlines about NorthWestern Energy Group

Here are the key news stories impacting NorthWestern Energy Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend raised to $0.67 (record Mar 13, pay Mar 31), a 1.5% increase that lifts yield to about 3.9% and supports income-oriented investors.
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets bumped its price target from $65 to $70 and set a “market perform” rating, signaling modest upside confidence. The Fly
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a $3.21B capital plan and a 5% EPS growth target as merger and data-center deals advance — a multi-year growth plan that could support future rate base and earnings expansion. MSN
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and transcript posted (useful for detail on guidance, rate case and M&A commentary). Yahoo Earnings Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 2025 earnings call transcript available for deeper read on drivers of results and management commentary. Seeking Alpha
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target to $52 and assigned an “underweight” rating, signaling a sizable downside view versus the current price and likely weighing on sentiment. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS of $1.17 missed consensus by $0.02 (vs $1.19); revenue rose ~10.9% but the small EPS miss and higher operating expenses are near-term negatives. MarketBeat
• Negative Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance set at $3.680–3.830, slightly below consensus (~3.82), which tempers upside expectations for the year.
• Negative Sentiment: 2025 annual results showed net income fell to $181.1M ($2.94/share) from $224.1M ($3.65/share) a year earlier, mainly due to higher operating expenses and regulatory disallowances — a material earnings decline that investors should monitor. Business Wire

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of NorthWestern Energy Group from $53.00 to $52.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on NorthWestern Energy Group from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Barclays raised their target price on NorthWestern Energy Group from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on NorthWestern Energy Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $60.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NorthWestern Energy Group

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp increased its holdings in NorthWestern Energy Group by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,637,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $170,238,000 after acquiring an additional 14,751 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 0.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,338,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $78,436,000 after purchasing an additional 4,261 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of NorthWestern Energy Group by 65.6% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,222,376 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,708,000 after buying an additional 484,266 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in NorthWestern Energy Group by 69.7% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,147,269 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,241,000 after buying an additional 471,125 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in NorthWestern Energy Group by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,017,415 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,664,000 after buying an additional 7,056 shares during the period. 96.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About NorthWestern Energy Group

NorthWestern Energy Group (NYSE: NWE) is a regulated energy utility company based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The company delivers electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers across a service territory that spans Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, NorthWestern Corporation, it operates a diversified portfolio of generation assets, including thermal, hydroelectric and renewable facilities, as well as an extensive network of transmission and distribution lines.

NorthWestern Energy’s primary business activities encompass the delivery, transmission and sale of electric and natural gas services.