2,995,843 Shares in National Fuel Gas Company $NFG Purchased by Energy Income Partners LLC

Energy Income Partners LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 2,995,843 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $231,309,000. National Fuel Gas accounts for approximately 3.6% of Energy Income Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest position.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 458.0% during the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 279 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares during the period. Fairscale Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the first quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 170.2% during the first quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 516 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 2.0%

National Fuel Gas stock opened at $83.49 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.20, a quick ratio of 3.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. National Fuel Gas Company has a 12 month low of $75.17 and a 12 month high of $97.06. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $79.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $84.55. The firm has a market cap of $7.93 billion, a PE ratio of 11.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.37.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.10. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 26.97% and a return on equity of 19.04%. The firm had revenue of $537.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $564.33 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.64 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.5 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were given a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is currently 30.83%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on NFG shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Wall Street Zen raised National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.