NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $50.30.

NI has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup upped their price target on NiSource from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of NiSource from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. KeyCorp reduced their price objective on shares of NiSource from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of NiSource in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $52.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of NiSource from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling at NiSource

In related news, EVP Melanie B. Berman sold 15,000 shares of NiSource stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.68, for a total transaction of $715,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 35,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,716,003.20. This trade represents a 29.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Melody Birmingham sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.43, for a total value of $118,575.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 116,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,503,587.48. The trade was a 2.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 27,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,305,675 in the last three months. 0.37% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of NiSource

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in NiSource during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its holdings in shares of NiSource by 113.8% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 620 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 330 shares during the last quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA bought a new position in shares of NiSource in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NiSource during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of NiSource during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors own 91.64% of the company’s stock.

NiSource Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NI opened at $45.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.65. NiSource has a fifty-two week low of $38.45 and a fifty-two week high of $49.21. The stock has a market cap of $21.62 billion, a PE ratio of 22.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.55. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $46.76 and a 200-day moving average of $46.40.

NiSource (NYSE:NI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06. NiSource had a return on equity of 8.31% and a net margin of 14.15%.The business had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.85 EPS. NiSource has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.070 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that NiSource will post 2.08 earnings per share for the current year.

NiSource Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. NiSource’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.70%.

About NiSource

NiSource, Inc (NYSE: NI) is a publicly traded energy holding company headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana, that primarily owns and operates regulated local gas and electric utilities in the United States. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company delivers natural gas and electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers and provides the associated distribution and transmission services that keep local energy systems functioning.

The company’s core activities include natural gas distribution, electric transmission and distribution, system operations, maintenance and emergency response.