National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $75.17 and last traded at $76.3620, with a volume of 893133 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $75.89.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on NFG shares. Zacks Research upgraded National Fuel Gas from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on National Fuel Gas in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $106.00.

National Fuel Gas Trading Down 0.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The company has a market capitalization of $7.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.37. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $82.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $84.86.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.85 by ($0.14). National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 27.48%.The company had revenue of $858.37 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $856.57 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. This is a positive change from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.96%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC increased its position in National Fuel Gas by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 3,184 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $294,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC increased its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 17,927 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,435,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC increased its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 6.2% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 2,680 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $215,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Optas LLC raised its position in National Fuel Gas by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Optas LLC now owns 3,238 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $304,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in National Fuel Gas by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,238 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $299,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

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.