National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Hits New 12-Month High - Should You Buy?

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $79.49 and last traded at $78.85, with a volume of 607441 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $78.33.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com upgraded National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, National Fuel Gas currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.67.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 0.5 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.39. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $73.72 and a 200-day moving average of $65.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.17 billion, a P/E ratio of -565.70 and a beta of 0.57.

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National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) 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 business earned $1.46 EPS. On average, equities research 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas's payout ratio is -1,471.43%.

Institutional Trading of National Fuel Gas

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 7,698 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $467,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares during the period. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter worth approximately $238,000. Zacks Investment Management purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the third quarter valued at approximately $957,000. Vestcor Inc bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the third quarter valued at approximately $716,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 76.1% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 31,790 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $1,927,000 after acquiring an additional 13,739 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is currently 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.