Meeder Asset Management Inc. Has $466,000 Stock Holdings in National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Meeder Asset Management Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) by 76.2% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 4,962 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 15,928 shares during the quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $466,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its position in National Fuel Gas by 458.0% in the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 279 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 229 shares during the period. Fairscale Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. HM Payson & Co. bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Finally, SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Trading Down 0.4%

National Fuel Gas stock opened at $80.84 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $78.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $84.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market cap of $7.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.37. National Fuel Gas Company has a 12 month low of $75.17 and a 12 month high of $97.06.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.85 by ($0.14). National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 27.48%.The firm had revenue of $858.37 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $856.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. National Fuel Gas’s revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.66 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This is a positive change from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on NFG. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of National Fuel Gas from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $105.50.

National Fuel Gas Company Profile

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG) is a diversified energy company engaged primarily in the production, gathering, transmission, distribution and marketing of natural gas. The company operates through four principal segments: Exploration & Production, Pipeline & Storage, Utilities, and Energy Marketing. Its integrated asset base spans upstream development in the Appalachian Basin, regional pipeline networks, underground storage facilities, and regulated utility distribution systems.

In its Exploration & Production segment, National Fuel Gas focuses on developing natural gas reserves in the Marcellus and Utica shales, leveraging modern drilling and completion techniques.