National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Sets New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $79.49 and last traded at $78.85, with a volume of 607441 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $78.33.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on NFG shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, National Fuel Gas currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.67.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 0.2 %

The stock has a market cap of $7.14 billion, a PE ratio of -562.85 and a beta of 0.57. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $73.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.39.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.22. National Fuel Gas had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 15.96%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.61%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently -1,471.43%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,584,155 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $156,807,000 after acquiring an additional 85,950 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,199,787 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $146,502,000 after purchasing an additional 117,351 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its position in National Fuel Gas by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 1,447,665 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $87,844,000 after purchasing an additional 70,332 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth approximately $67,393,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in National Fuel Gas by 37.9% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,019,072 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $61,837,000 after purchasing an additional 279,857 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Company Profile

National Fuel Gas Company operates as a diversified energy company. It operates through four segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. The Exploration and Production segment explores for, develops, and produces natural gas and oil. The Pipeline and Storage segment provides interstate natural gas transportation services through an integrated gas pipeline system in Pennsylvania and New York; and owns and operates underground natural gas storage fields.