Northern Trust (NTRS)
Northern Trust is a long-standing American financial institution that acts as a professional vault and accountant for the world's wealthiest individuals and largest institutions.
Is Northern Trust a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Northern Trust is a long-standing American financial institution that acts as a professional vault and accountant for the world's wealthiest individuals and largest institutions.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Significant growth in the global wealth management sector driving long-term demand.
Major technological disruption or regulatory changes impacting their core business model.
What does Northern Trust do?
Think of Northern Trust as the 'plumbing' of the financial world; they don't just manage money, they provide the essential administrative services that keep big pension funds and wealthy families' assets safe and organised. They make their money primarily through fees for looking after these assets and providing specialised banking services. The balance to watch is fee income against the cost of keeping its complex technology systems running smoothly.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on growth and momentum, and weakest on quality.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.8% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 36% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 25% of sales into profit
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 17%)
- Growth screens high (87/100)
- Momentum screens high (79/100)
- Strong reputation with high-net-worth clients and large institutions
- High net profit margins indicate a very efficient business model
- Consistent history of paying dividends to shareholders
- A significant drop in global stock markets would directly reduce fee income
- Rising costs for cybersecurity and digital infrastructure
- Potential for regulatory changes to limit banking fees
What do Northern Trust's numbers mean?
How much money does Northern Trust make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Northern Trust pay a dividend?
Yes - Northern Trust currently pays a dividend of about 1.8% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Northern Trust report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Northern Trust is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-21 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-22 | $4.62 | $4.23 | Missed -8% |
| 2026-04-21 | $2.33 | $2.71 | Beat +16% |
| 2026-01-22 | $2.37 | $2.42 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-10-22 | $2.24 | $2.29 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-07-23 | $2.04 | $2.13 | Beat +4% |
| 2025-04-22 | $1.84 | $1.90 | Beat +3% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Northern Trust came in ahead of what analysts expected 5 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
More in Financial Services
What are the scenarios for Northern Trust?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Northern Trust?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong reputation with high-net-worth clients and large institutions
- High net profit margins indicate a very efficient business model
- Consistent history of paying dividends to shareholders
- Revenue is heavily tied to the performance of global financial markets
- High beta means the share price can be quite a bumpy ride
- Operating in a highly regulated and competitive banking environment
- A significant drop in global stock markets would directly reduce fee income
- Rising costs for cybersecurity and digital infrastructure
- Potential for regulatory changes to limit banking fees
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained period of global market decline
- A major security breach affecting their reputation for safety
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.