National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Shares Purchased by Xponance Inc.

Xponance Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 5.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 10,352 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after buying an additional 490 shares during the period. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $628,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at about $9,067,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,584,155 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $156,807,000 after acquiring an additional 85,950 shares during the period. Ibex Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,943,000. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 243.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 102,672 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $6,223,000 after acquiring an additional 72,802 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in National Fuel Gas by 33.3% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 220,869 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $13,386,000 after purchasing an additional 55,152 shares in the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NFG stock opened at $78.44 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. National Fuel Gas has a 12-month low of $51.46 and a 12-month high of $79.35. The business’s 50 day moving average is $72.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.31. The company has a market capitalization of $7.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -560.25 and a beta of 0.57.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its earnings results 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 last year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. Analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.515 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.63%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1,471.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $74.67.

National Fuel Gas 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.