National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Downgraded to “Strong Sell” Rating by Zacks Research

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) was downgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on NFG. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Scotiabank set a $101.00 price target on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $96.33.

National Fuel Gas Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $81.54 on Wednesday. National Fuel Gas has a 1 year low of $67.11 and a 1 year high of $94.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.44 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $81.12 and its 200 day moving average is $84.27. The company has a market cap of $7.75 billion, a PE ratio of 14.36, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.61.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $466.28 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $534.57 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 22.86%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.77 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NFG. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 30.0% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 159,953 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $12,667,000 after acquiring an additional 36,913 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the first quarter worth approximately $247,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in National Fuel Gas by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 220,730 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $17,480,000 after purchasing an additional 8,304 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in National Fuel Gas by 79.5% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 12,729 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,008,000 after buying an additional 5,638 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 1st quarter worth $138,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.