Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the sixteen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have issued a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $142.4615.

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Northern Trust in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “sell” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Northern Trust in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Northern Trust from $139.00 to $159.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Northern Trust from $131.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Northern Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th.

Northern Trust News Summary

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 Trading Down 2.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:NTRS opened at $148.63 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $137.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $131.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.01, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.27. Northern Trust has a 52-week low of $81.62 and a 52-week high of $157.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.69.

Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The asset manager reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $3.15 billion for the quarter. Northern Trust had a net margin of 12.15% and a return on equity of 14.87%. Northern Trust’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.26 EPS. Analysts expect that Northern Trust will post 8.27 EPS for the current year.

Northern Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Northern Trust’s payout ratio is currently 36.61%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,313 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $909,371.55. This represents a 9.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Susan Cohen Levy sold 27,591 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.13, for a total value of $3,535,234.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 48,257 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,183,169.41. The trade was a 36.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.77% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Northern Trust

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Northern Trust during the third quarter worth about $25,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Northern Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in Northern Trust during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. AlphaCore Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Northern Trust by 87.4% during the second quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 208 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Northern Trust by 5,225.0% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 213 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.19% of the company’s stock.

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.