Fact based stock research
NW Natural (NYSE:NWN)
US66765N1054
How to read the free ranks
For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
NW Natural stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 61 (better than 61% compared with investment alternatives), NW Natural (Gas Utilities, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of NW Natural are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 85 (better than 85% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 43), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 25), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 61, is a buy recommendation based on NW Natural's financial characteristics. As the company NW Natural's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 85) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 43) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 25), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 85% of comparable companies, may indicate the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
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360° Viewnew| Country | USA |
| Industry | Gas Utilities |
| Index | Employee Focus US |
| Size class | Large |
19-Dec-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.
Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.
It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.
Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.
Research History: NW Natural
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 42 |
|
75 |
|
84 |
|
85 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 29 |
|
13 |
|
17 |
|
43 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 6 |
|
25 |
|
63 |
|
25 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
54 |
|
55 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | n/a |
|
29 |
|
70 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 61 (better than 61% compared with investment alternatives), NW Natural (Gas Utilities, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of NW Natural are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 85 (better than 85% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 43), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 25), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 61, is a buy recommendation based on NW Natural's financial characteristics. As the company NW Natural's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 85) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 43) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 25), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 85% of comparable companies, may indicate the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 42 |
|
75 |
|
84 |
|
85 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 29 |
|
13 |
|
17 |
|
43 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 6 |
|
25 |
|
63 |
|
25 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 11 |
|
26 |
|
63 |
|
61 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 85 (better than 85% compared with alternatives) for 2024, NW Natural shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators that are all above average for NW Natural. Price-to-Sales is 84 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 84% of comparable companies, indicating a good value for NW Natural's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits, more favorable than for 73% of alternatives, and this is also true for the Price-to-Book capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 83. Compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields of NW Natural are expected to be higher than for 75% of all competitors (a Dividend Yield rank of 75). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 85, is a buy recommendation based on NW Natural's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Since all value metrics are above the industry average, there is no objection to investing in NW Natural based on its detailed value metrics. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more
| VALUE METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | 42 |
|
74 |
|
83 |
|
84 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 31 |
|
53 |
|
69 |
|
73 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 47 |
|
63 |
|
82 |
|
83 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 61 |
|
61 |
|
72 |
|
75 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 42 |
|
75 |
|
84 |
|
85 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 43 (better than 43% compared with alternatives), NW Natural shows a below-average growth dynamic in its industry. There is limited momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for NW Natural. Sales Growth has a rank of 73 which means that currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 73% of its competitors. Capital Growth is also above 21% of competitors with a rank of 58. But Profit Growth only has a rank of 21, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 79% of its competitors. And Stock Returns have also been below average with a rank of only 47. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 43, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Profits are sometimes low if the company invests in the future. The positive revenue and capital investment outlook confirms such an interpretation. Both revenues and capital are solid growth indicators, and lower profits in such a case would be encouraging. But the investors see it differently by punishing the share price. Sometimes, Mister Market is not very reliable, because it is not uncommon for it to be volatile. Investors should look out for signs of growth expenditure that could justify low profit growth, and they may also find reasons why recent stock price developments don't confirm the growth outlook of operations. While operating growth indicators are not perfect, they are more reliable indicators for future performance than stock prices that can repeatedly surprise investors. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is mixed here. ...read more
| GROWTH METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 28 |
|
31 |
|
28 |
|
73 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 100 |
|
23 |
|
72 |
|
21 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | n/a |
|
14 |
|
31 |
|
58 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 33 |
|
53 |
|
23 |
|
47 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 29 |
|
13 |
|
17 |
|
43 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 25 (better than 25% compared with alternatives), the company NW Natural has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of NW Natural is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with just one indicator above average for NW Natural and the other two below average. Leverage is at a rank of 52 meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 52% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 17, which means that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 83% of its competitors. Liquidity is at a rank of 37, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 63% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 25 (worse than 75% compared with alternatives), NW Natural has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. This is an indication that the company is on the riskier side when it comes to debt service. There is only below-market average liquidity, and a short-term refinancing issue might be around the corner. But in the long-term, the debt levels of NW Natural are on the safer side. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge and liquidity issues with NW Natural and should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 10 |
|
30 |
|
52 |
|
52 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 35 |
|
13 |
|
37 |
|
17 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 13 |
|
73 |
|
65 |
|
37 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 6 |
|
25 |
|
63 |
|
25 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
25 |
|
54 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | n/a |
|
50 |
|
50 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | n/a |
|
63 |
|
46 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | n/a |
|
66 |
|
77 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
54 |
|
55 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for NW Natural from December 19, 2024.
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