National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Sets New 1-Year Low – Should You Sell?

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

National Fuel Gas Stock Down 0.4%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $82.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $84.86. The firm has a market cap of $7.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.23, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.37.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.85 by ($0.14). National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 27.48% and a return on equity of 20.62%. The business had revenue of $858.37 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $856.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.555 per share. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. 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 currently 28.96%.

Institutional Trading of National Fuel Gas

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 4.2% during the third quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 3,184 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $294,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC grew its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 17,927 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,435,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC increased its position in National Fuel Gas by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 2,680 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $215,000 after buying an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Optas LLC raised its stake 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 buying an additional 163 shares during the period. Finally, OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 5.3% in the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,238 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $299,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares in 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.