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: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong reputation with high-net-worth clients and large institutions. Worth weighing: Revenue is heavily tied to the performance of global financial markets.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
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
- Momentum screens high
- —
Does Northern Trust pay a dividend?
Yes - Northern Trust currently pays a dividend of about 1.8% a year, which is £18 a year for every £1,000 invested (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. An ISA doesn't shelter the US tax on this one →
What do the numbers say about Northern Trust's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
Most recent ex-dividend date: 5 Jun 2026. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →
What do Northern Trust's numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. 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.
How much has Northern Trust actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Northern Trust fell as much as −26% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Who owns Northern Trust?
About 87% of Northern Trust, or about 87 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds, and company insiders hold about 1%. The rest, roughly 12%, is held by the public and smaller investors.
What this does and doesn't tell you
This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.
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.
How much money does Northern Trust make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
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.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| 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 →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Northern Trust?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Significant growth in the global wealth management sector driving long-term demand.
Major technological disruption or regulatory changes impacting their core business model.
What are the pros and cons of Northern Trust?
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
Common questions about Northern Trust
Does Northern Trust pay a dividend?
Yes - Northern Trust currently pays a dividend of about 1.8% a year. Dividends are a share of profit paid to holders; the yield moves with the price and payouts can be cut.
When does Northern Trust report earnings next?
Northern Trust is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-10-21. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 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.