National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $73.90 and last traded at $73.83, with a volume of 224118 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $73.32.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of analysts have issued reports on NFG shares. StockNews.com raised National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Argus upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $69.00.
Check Out Our Latest Report on National Fuel Gas
National Fuel Gas Stock Up 2.2 %
The firm has a 50 day moving average of $67.88 and a 200-day moving average of $63.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.81 billion, a P/E ratio of -536.96 and a beta of 0.64.
National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share (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 in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.515 per share. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. National Fuel Gas's payout ratio is -1,471.43%.
Insider Activity
In other National Fuel Gas news, insider Donna L. Decarolis sold 10,000 shares of National Fuel Gas stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.58, for a total transaction of $625,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 81,519 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,101,459.02. This trade represents a 10.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Justin I. Loweth sold 19,532 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.27, for a total transaction of $1,216,257.64. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 41,841 shares in the company, valued at $2,605,439.07. This represents a 31.83 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas
Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 12.6% during the third quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 7,698 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $467,000 after buying an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth $238,000. Zacks Investment Management bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the third quarter worth $957,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the third quarter valued at $1,277,000. Finally, Vestcor Inc bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the third quarter valued at about $716,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
National Fuel Gas Company Profile
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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.
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