Equity Investment Corp Reduces Stock Position in National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Equity Investment Corp lowered its stake in National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,042,990 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 56,938 shares during the period. National Fuel Gas accounts for approximately 2.0% of Equity Investment Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Equity Investment Corp owned 1.15% of National Fuel Gas worth $96,341,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of NFG. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in National Fuel Gas by 105.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 423 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 228,122 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $21,072,000 after purchasing an additional 10,577 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter worth about $5,228,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter valued at about $925,000. Finally, Peak Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter valued at about $465,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Scotiabank set a $101.00 target price on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research cut National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $96.33.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NFG opened at $83.42 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $81.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $84.14. The firm has a market cap of $7.93 billion, a PE ratio of 11.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. National Fuel Gas Company has a 1-year low of $69.93 and a 1-year high of $94.13.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $651.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $650.70 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 21.45% and a net margin of 27.65%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.66 EPS. National Fuel Gas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.600-8.100 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas Company will post 6.64 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.535 dividend. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.85%.

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.