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

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $75.37 and last traded at $75.40, with a volume of 20727 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $75.20.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Argus raised National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 0.3 %

The business’s fifty day moving average price is $68.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $6.78 billion, a P/E ratio of -534.88 and a beta of 0.64.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.22. National Fuel Gas had a positive return on equity of 15.96% and a negative net margin of 0.53%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.515 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.75%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -1,471.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Donna L. Decarolis sold 10,000 shares of National Fuel Gas stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.58, for a total value of $625,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 81,519 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,101,459.02. The trade was a 10.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.41% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of National Fuel Gas

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth $4,934,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 359,845 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $21,835,000 after buying an additional 3,928 shares during the last quarter. Novem Group acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter valued at about $289,000. Finally, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 106.8% in the fourth quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 7,472 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $453,000 after buying an additional 3,859 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

About National Fuel Gas

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.