Northwest Natural (NWN) Forms 'Hammer Chart Pattern': Time for Bottom Fishing?

Core Viewpoint - Northwest Natural (NWN) has shown a downtrend recently, losing 7.3% over the past four weeks, but a hammer chart pattern suggests a potential trend reversal as buying interest may be emerging [1][2]. Technical Analysis - The hammer chart pattern indicates a possible bottoming out, suggesting that selling pressure may be subsiding, which is a bullish signal for the stock [2][5]. - A hammer pattern forms when there is a small candle body with a long lower wick, indicating that despite a downtrend, buyers are starting to push the price up towards the opening price [4][5]. - The occurrence of a hammer pattern at the bottom of a downtrend signals that bears may be losing control, indicating a potential trend reversal [5]. Fundamental Analysis - There has been a recent upward trend in earnings estimate revisions for NWN, which is a bullish indicator as it correlates strongly with near-term stock price movements [7]. - Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased by 0.4%, indicating that analysts expect better earnings than previously predicted [8]. - NWN currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks, which typically outperform the market [9].