Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) Given New $150.00 Price Target at Wells Fargo & Company

Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) had its price objective hoisted by Wells Fargo & Company from $145.00 to $150.00 in a research report report published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the asset manager’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the company. Barclays upped their target price on Northern Trust from $136.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Northern Trust from $123.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Northern Trust from $127.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Northern Trust from $135.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Northern Trust in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Northern Trust presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $142.46.

Northern Trust Trading Down 2.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:NTRS opened at $148.63 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.01, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.27. Northern Trust has a 1-year low of $81.62 and a 1-year high of $157.60. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $137.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $131.83.

Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The asset manager reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $3.15 billion during the quarter. Northern Trust had a return on equity of 14.87% and a net margin of 12.15%.Northern Trust’s revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.26 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Northern Trust will post 8.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northern Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Northern Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.30%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider John Landers sold 766 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.35, for a total value of $95,252.10. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,313 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $909,371.55. This represents a 9.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Robert Edward Jr. Moritz acquired 3,891 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $128.57 per share, with a total value of $500,265.87. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 6,686 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $859,619.02. This represents a 139.21% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.77% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northern Trust

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NTRS. Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its stake in Northern Trust by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 33,457 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $4,570,000 after acquiring an additional 983 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Northern Trust by 9.3% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,031 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $414,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Northern Trust by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,379 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $598,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Jackson Thornton Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Northern Trust in the fourth quarter worth $287,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in Northern Trust in the fourth quarter worth $646,000. Institutional investors own 83.19% of the company’s stock.

Northern Trust News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results topped estimates — Northern Trust reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results with year-over-year net interest income and asset growth helping revenue and EPS beat consensus, a core bullish catalyst for the stock. Q4 Beat: Zacks
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted record NII and raised targets on the earnings call — the company pointed to higher net interest income and stronger fee/servicing trends on the call, which prompted some analysts to lift forecasts. Earnings Call Summary: TipRanks
• Positive Sentiment: RBC raised its price target to $159 and moved to an outperform view — a bullish analyst action that signals upside expectations following the quarter. RBC Raise: The Fly
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved/announced quarterly dividend — Northern Trust declared a quarterly dividend of $0.80 (record March 6), supporting income-oriented investor interest.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several firms nudged up targets but kept neutral/in-line ratings (Evercore to $155 in-line; Wells Fargo to $150 equal weight) — these moves recognize better results but stop short of a strong buy endorsement. Evercore: TickerReport Wells Fargo: TickerReport
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its target to $140 but kept an “underweight” rating — the firm’s stance signals limited confidence in near-term upside and likely contributed to selling pressure. MS PT Change: Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Costs and valuation concerns persist — several write-ups note elevated expenses are trimming margin expansion and that valuation may be rich after the run, which can temper enthusiasm despite the beat. Valuation Concerns: Seeking Alpha

Northern Trust Company Profile

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.