# NorthWestern Energy Group Inc. (NWE) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-11-04. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Utilities / Multi-Utilities. Price $79.95, market value $4.9 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 28.9×** (5-yr avg 15.5×, 3-yr avg 16.4×). NorthWestern Energy Group Inc. trades at 28.9× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 15.5×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Utilities median in the September 2026 study was 21.2×. Forward P/E is 20.1×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 2.9×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 2.9×.
- **Price / book: 1.7×**. The shares trade at 1.7× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 14.2×**. Enterprise value is 14.2× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: -3.9%** (5-yr avg -5.4%). Free cash flow is negative: the business is consuming cash, which is normal for heavy investment phases but a warning otherwise.
- **Earnings yield: 3.5%**. The inverse of the P/E: 3.5% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 18.8%**. 18.8% of revenue is left after running the business, a healthy level in most sectors.
- **Net margin: 11.2%**. 11.2% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 6.3%**. 6.3% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 4.1%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 4.1%: close to or below the cost of capital, so growth may not create value.
- **Return on assets: 2.0%**. Each dollar of assets produces 2.0% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 6.4%** (3-yr 2.9%/yr). Revenue grew 6.4% over the last year.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -19.5%** (3-yr -3.3%/yr). Earnings per share fell 19.5%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 1.14**. Debt is 1.14 times equity, a leveraged balance sheet, which is normal for utilities.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 5.7×**. It would take 5.7 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, above the 3× level most lenders treat as comfortable.
- **Current ratio: 0.72** (quick 0.72). Current liabilities exceed current assets, so the company depends on ongoing cash generation or refinancing to pay the next year's bills.
- **Altman Z-score: 1.30**. A Z-score of 1.30 is in the distress zone, a signal to examine the balance sheet closely.
- **Piotroski F-score: 5/9**. 5 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 3.35%** ($2.66 per share, trailing). NorthWestern Energy Group Inc. yields 3.35%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 89%**. 89% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving a thin cushion.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 18**. 18 straight years of increases, a record that survived at least one recession.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 1.9%/yr** (1-yr 1.5%). The dividend has grown 1.9% a year over five years.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (7 analysts). 7 analysts cover NorthWestern Energy Group Inc.; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of $79.21 (-1% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 37.1%** (YTD 26.3%, 3-mo 14.4%). The shares are up 37.1% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -1.0%** (31.8% above the low). Trading within 5% of its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 72**. An RSI of 72 is in overbought territory; short-term pullbacks are common from here.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.07** (volatility 24%). Beta of 0.07 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=NWE · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/nwe

Not investment advice.