National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $79.91 and last traded at $79.85, with a volume of 635083 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $79.19.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $7.13 billion, a PE ratio of -562.77 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $74.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $66.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.33.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business earned $1.46 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The company 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 dividend of $0.515 per share. 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 (DPR) is -1,471.43%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NFG. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 3.4% in the fourth 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 buying an additional 85,950 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in National Fuel Gas by 5.6% in the 4th 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 acquiring an additional 117,351 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 5.1% during the 4th 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 acquiring an additional 70,332 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth about $67,393,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 37.9% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,019,072 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $61,837,000 after purchasing an additional 279,857 shares in the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.