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

NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $50.50.

NI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Evercore set a $52.00 price target on shares of NiSource in a report on Monday, May 11th. Barclays increased their price objective on NiSource from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on NiSource from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings cut NiSource from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, KeyCorp began coverage on NiSource in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $52.00 price target for the company.

Insider Transactions at NiSource

In other NiSource news, EVP Melody Birmingham sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.19, for a total transaction of $471,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 117,899 shares in the company, valued at $5,563,653.81. This trade represents a 7.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Melanie B. Berman sold 15,000 shares of NiSource stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 35,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,716,003.20. The trade was a 29.42% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 27,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,305,675 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.37% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NI. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its position in shares of NiSource by 113.8% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 620 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 330 shares in the last quarter. Strive Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of NiSource in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA bought a new stake in shares of NiSource during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in shares of NiSource during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in NiSource during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. 91.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NiSource Stock Performance

NYSE NI opened at $46.95 on Monday. NiSource has a 52-week low of $38.45 and a 52-week high of $49.21. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.65. The company has a market capitalization of $22.51 billion, a PE ratio of 23.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 0.55.

NiSource (NYSE:NI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06. NiSource had a net margin of 14.15% and a return on equity of 8.31%. The firm had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.85 earnings per share. NiSource has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.070 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that NiSource will post 2.05 EPS for the current year.

NiSource Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. NiSource’s dividend payout ratio 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.