What to Expect From Northern Trust’s Next Quarterly Earnings Report

Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) is a global financial services powerhouse, providing wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking solutions to corporations, institutions, affluent families and individuals. Founded in Chicago in 1889, the company has grown into a global franchise, with a presence across 24 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., as well as 22 locations spanning Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

With decades of experience navigating the evolving financial landscape, Northern Trust oversees an impressive $20 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $2 trillion in assets under management, as of June 30, 2026. For more than 135 years, the company has built its reputation around exceptional client service, deep financial expertise, integrity and a commitment to innovation.

With a market capitalization of roughly $31 billion, Northern Trust is gearing up to pull back the curtain on its fiscal 2026 third-quarter earnings before the market opens on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Heading into the highly anticipated report, Wall Street expects the company to deliver EPS of $2.86, marking an impressive 24.9% year-over-year increase. 

Northern Trust also has a strong track record of beating expectations, with its bottom line topping Wall Street’s consensus estimates in each of the past four quarters. Looking beyond the upcoming quarter, analysts expect Northern Trust’s fiscal 2026 EPS to reach $11.64, representing a robust 29.2% year-over-year gain. The momentum is projected to continue into fiscal 2027, with EPS expected to climb another 10% year-over-year to $12.80.

Turning to Northern Trust’s share performance, the stock has delivered a strong run over the past year, climbing 28.2% and comfortably outpacing the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX), which has gained 16% over the same period. Northern Trust has also left the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) in the dust, with the ETF posting only a marginal gain over the past 52 weeks.

Northern Trust delivered a standout fiscal 2026 second-quarter performance on Jul. 22, easily surpassing Wall Street’s expectations on both the top and bottom lines. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $4.23, compared to the year-ago quarter’s EPS of $2.13. On an adjusted basis, EPS came in at $2.97 per share, comfortably topping the consensus estimate of $2.68.

The strength extended to the top line, with total revenue surging 35% year over year to $2.71 billion, fueled by robust fee growth, healthy capital markets activity and double-digit growth in net interest income. Revenue also came in well above Wall Street’s estimate of $2.20 billion. Adding to the strong showing, Northern Trust returned more than $1 billion of capital to shareholders during the first half of the year.

Despite NTRS’ impressive market performance over the past year, Wall Street’s stance on the stock remains decidedly cautious. Of the 16 analysts covering NTRS, just two recommend a “Strong Buy,” while 11 maintain a “Hold” rating. Meanwhile, two analysts see the stock as a “Moderate Sell,” and one gives it a “Strong Sell,” resulting in an overall “Hold” consensus. Still, the Street sees some room for further gains. The average price target of $185.64 points to roughly 9.5% upside from the stock’s current levels.

On the date of publication, Anushka Mukherji did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.