NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI) Short Interest Update

NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 8,647,294 shares, a decrease of 20.0% from the January 15th total of 10,813,578 shares. Approximately 1.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,470,862 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,470,862 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days. Approximately 1.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on NI shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of NiSource in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen cut NiSource from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on NiSource from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. BMO Capital Markets set a $50.00 target price on NiSource in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of NiSource from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $47.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kimberly S. Cuccia sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.13, for a total transaction of $345,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 41,247 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,778,983.11. This trade represents a 16.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of NiSource

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of NiSource by 55,625.2% in the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 16,866,898 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $680,411,000 after buying an additional 16,836,630 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in NiSource during the 4th quarter valued at $336,852,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in NiSource by 2,288.8% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 3,166,313 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $137,101,000 after acquiring an additional 3,033,764 shares during the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in NiSource in the fourth quarter worth $100,965,000. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new stake in NiSource in the third quarter worth $84,086,000. Institutional investors own 91.64% of the company’s stock.

NiSource Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE NI traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $46.71. 4,248,682 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,820,286. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.81 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $43.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $42.68. NiSource has a 12 month low of $35.64 and a 12 month high of $47.05.

NiSource (NYSE:NI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The utilities provider reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.02. NiSource had a return on equity of 8.07% and a net margin of 13.99%.The company had revenue of $1.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.49 earnings per share. NiSource has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.070 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that NiSource will post 1.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NiSource Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 3rd. This is a positive change from NiSource’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. NiSource’s payout ratio is currently 61.54%.

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.