Poplar Forest Capital LLC Sells 204,872 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Poplar Forest Capital LLC trimmed its stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 28.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 510,387 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 204,872 shares during the quarter. National Fuel Gas accounts for 3.7% of Poplar Forest Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Poplar Forest Capital LLC owned about 0.55% of National Fuel Gas worth $25,606,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 2,307.5% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 727,659 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $37,773,000 after acquiring an additional 697,434 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 19.9% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,868,815 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $200,830,000 after purchasing an additional 641,010 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 8,630.9% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 336,139 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $16,864,000 after buying an additional 332,289 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,190,115 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $684,699,000 after buying an additional 311,599 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its position in National Fuel Gas by 3,666.2% in the 3rd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 166,729 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $8,648,000 after buying an additional 162,302 shares during the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on NFG shares. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of National Fuel Gas from $67.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. StockNews.com raised National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 20th.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

NYSE NFG traded up $1.52 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $55.27. 903,343 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 578,523. National Fuel Gas has a 52 week low of $45.32 and a 52 week high of $56.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.59 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $51.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $50.83.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $525.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $664.57 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 14.81% and a net margin of 21.58%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 20.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.84 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 4.55 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 28th were given a $0.495 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $1.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.58%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.51%.

National Fuel Gas Company Profile

National Fuel Gas Company operates as a diversified energy company. It operates through four segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. The Exploration and Production segment explores for, develops, and produces natural gas and oil. The Pipeline and Storage segment provides interstate natural gas transportation services through an integrated gas pipeline system in Pennsylvania and New York; and owns and operates underground natural gas storage fields.