National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at KeyCorp

KeyCorp assumed coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) in a report published on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm issued an overweight rating and a $110.00 price target on the oil and gas producer’s stock.

NFG has been the topic of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Scotiabank set a $101.00 price target on National Fuel Gas in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded National Fuel Gas from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $106.00.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

National Fuel Gas stock opened at $95.93 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The company has a market capitalization of $9.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.38, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.52. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $90.26 and its 200 day moving average is $85.38. National Fuel Gas has a twelve month low of $70.93 and a twelve month high of $97.06.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.91 by $0.15. The company 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was up 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.66 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a $0.535 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $2.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is 29.85%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in National Fuel Gas by 190.9% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 22,691 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,817,000 after acquiring an additional 14,891 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors lifted its position in National Fuel Gas by 18.2% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 4,609 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $369,000 after acquiring an additional 710 shares in the last quarter. Winthrop Partners WNY LLC bought a new position in National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $376,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at $325,000. Finally, SHP Wealth Management purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.