Foster & Motley Inc. Invests $6.04 Million in National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Foster & Motley Inc. purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 78,230 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $6,040,000. Foster & Motley Inc. owned 0.08% of National Fuel Gas as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 458.0% during the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 279 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Fairscale Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. HM Payson & Co. purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 170.2% during the 1st quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 516 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NFG opened at $83.49 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $79.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $84.55. National Fuel Gas Company has a twelve month low of $75.17 and a twelve month high of $97.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 3.07, a current ratio of 3.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.10. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 26.97% and a return on equity of 19.04%. The company had revenue of $537.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $564.33 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.64 earnings per share. National Fuel Gas’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a $0.555 dividend. This is an increase from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on NFG shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings cut National Fuel Gas from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $105.50.

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.