National Fuel Gas Company $NFG Shares Purchased by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) by 78.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 60,284 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 26,488 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $4,826,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of NFG. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 30.0% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 159,953 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $12,667,000 after purchasing an additional 36,913 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 1st quarter worth approximately $247,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 3.9% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 220,730 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $17,480,000 after buying an additional 8,304 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 79.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 12,729 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,008,000 after buying an additional 5,638 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the first quarter valued at approximately $138,000. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NFG has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Scotiabank set a $101.00 target price on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $104.00.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $92.96 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $89.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $85.18. The company has a market cap of $8.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.97, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.65. National Fuel Gas Company has a one year low of $69.93 and a one year high of $97.06.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.15. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 21.45% and a net margin of 27.65%.The firm had revenue of $651.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $650.70 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.66 EPS. National Fuel Gas’s quarterly revenue was up 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas Company will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.535 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $2.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is 29.85%.

About National Fuel Gas

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.