Northwest Natural (NWN) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates

Core Viewpoint - Northwest Natural (NWN) reported quarterly earnings of $2.28 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.09 per share, and showing an increase from $1.69 per share a year ago, indicating a positive earnings surprise of 9.09% [1][2] Financial Performance - The company achieved revenues of $494.28 million for the quarter ended March 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.37%, compared to $433.47 million in the same quarter last year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Northwest Natural has exceeded consensus EPS estimates three times, but has only topped revenue estimates once [2] Stock Performance - Northwest Natural shares have increased approximately 10.1% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with a decline of -3.9% in the S&P 500 [3] - The stock's immediate price movement will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call [3] Future Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is -$0.04 on revenues of $234.73 million, while for the current fiscal year, it is $2.83 on revenues of $1.26 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Northwest Natural is currently unfavorable, resulting in a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), indicating expected underperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Utility - Gas Distribution industry, to which Northwest Natural belongs, is currently ranked in the top 18% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable industry outlook [8] - Another company in the same industry, Atmos Energy (ATO), is expected to report quarterly earnings of $2.92 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of +2.5% [9]