NiSource (NYSE:NI) Hits New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $48.14 and last traded at $48.0950, with a volume of 3240162 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $47.65.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on NI shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded NiSource from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. BMO Capital Markets set a $50.00 target price on NiSource in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of NiSource in a report on Friday, March 27th. KeyCorp started coverage on NiSource in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $52.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on NiSource from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $47.64.

NiSource Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $46.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $43.89. The company has a market cap of $23.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.66, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33.

NiSource (NYSE:NI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The utilities provider reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. NiSource had a return on equity of 8.07% and a net margin of 13.99%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.49 earnings per share. NiSource has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.070 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that NiSource, Inc will post 1.91 EPS for the current year.

NiSource Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 30th. NiSource’s payout ratio is currently 61.54%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Strive Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NiSource during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased 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 during the last quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA purchased a new stake in shares of NiSource during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NiSource during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NiSource during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.64% of the company’s stock.

NiSource Company Profile

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.