The business behind the dividend
| Measure | NWBI | Median | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 6.7% | 10.6% | Net income ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Return on capital employed | — | — | Operating income ÷ (equity + total debt) |
| Owner earnings | $126.38m | $120.90m | Net income + depreciation & amortisation − capital expenditure |
| Free cash flow | $141.78m | $155.08m | Operating cash flow − capital expenditure |
| Operating margin | 21.7% | 14.3% | Operating income ÷ revenue |
| Net margin | 16.8% | 10.1% | Net income ÷ revenue |
| Debt to equity | — | — | Total debt ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Interest cover | — | — | Operating income ÷ interest expense |
| Current ratio | — | — | Current assets ÷ current liabilities |
| Long-term debt to working capital | — | — | Long-term debt ÷ (current assets − current liabilities) |
| Cash conversion | — | — | Operating cash flow ÷ net income |
| Accruals | -0.2% | -3.1% | (Net income − operating cash flow) ÷ total assets |
Not computed here: Cash conversion, Current ratio, Debt to equity, Long-term debt to working capital, Interest cover, Return on capital employed — why a blank is not a zero.
Ten years of it
The same measures, for every year the filings support. One year is a fact; a row is a business.
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 6.7% | 6.3% | 8.7% | 9.0% | 9.7% | 4.9% | 8.2% | 8.4% | 7.8% | 4.2% | 7.8% |
| Operating margin | 21.7% | 19.4% | 29.8% | 38.7% | 48.1% | 21.3% | 33.8% | — | — | — | 29.8% |
| Net margin | 16.8% | 15.0% | 23.0% | 29.8% | 36.9% | 17.2% | 26.5% | 28.1% | 26.3% | 14.4% | 23.0% |
How it compares in banks & insurers
Among the 377 banks & insurers companies here measured on GAAP earnings, Northwest Bancshares pays out less than 18 of them. The median for that group is 30.6%, against this company’s 87.0%.
Closest on GAAP earnings
- CNA Financial (CNA) 81.9%
- Kestrel Group (KG) 86.4%
- LandBridge Co LLC (LB) 88.6%
- Fidelity National Financial (FNF) 91.4%
Same sector and same denominator, so the figures are comparable. All 377 in banks & insurers →