Proficio Capital Partners LLC Acquires New Shares in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 14,199 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock, valued at approximately $862,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in National Fuel Gas by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,584,155 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $156,807,000 after acquiring an additional 85,950 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 920,918 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $55,817,000 after purchasing an additional 7,830 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 33.3% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 220,869 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $13,386,000 after purchasing an additional 55,152 shares during the period. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. raised its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. now owns 159,753 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $9,694,000 after buying an additional 792 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 7.5% in the third quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 143,289 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $8,685,000 after buying an additional 10,038 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company's stock.

Remove Ads

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

NYSE:NFG traded up $0.16 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $78.44. The stock had a trading volume of 556,522 shares, compared to its average volume of 511,071. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $72.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $65.17. 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 has a 12 month low of $51.46 and a 12 month high of $79.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.10 billion, a PE ratio of -560.25 and a beta of 0.57.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 in the previous year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.515 per share. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -1,471.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.