National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Here’s Why

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG)’s share price hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The stock traded as low as $75.67 and last traded at $76.9910, with a volume of 23886 shares. The stock had previously closed at $77.55.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

National Fuel Gas Stock Down 0.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.62. The company has a market cap of $7.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.37. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $83.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $84.99.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $858.37 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $856.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.39 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 458.0% in the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 279 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 229 shares during the last quarter. Fairscale Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. HM Payson & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 1st quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Eastern Bank purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Hedge funds and other 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.