Royal Bank of Canada Sells 170,590 Shares of National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Royal Bank of Canada decreased its position in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) by 37.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 280,654 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 170,590 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada owned 0.30% of National Fuel Gas worth $26,370,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

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

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $81.61 on Wednesday. National Fuel Gas Company has a twelve month low of $75.17 and a twelve month high of $97.06. The company has a current ratio of 3.20, a quick ratio of 3.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $7.76 billion, a PE ratio of 11.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.37. The company’s 50 day moving average is $78.84 and its 200 day moving average is $84.59.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $537.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $564.33 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 26.97% and a return on equity of 19.04%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.64 EPS. National Fuel Gas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.400-7.600 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.5 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on NFG. KeyCorp assumed coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of National Fuel Gas from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. One equities 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $105.50.

National Fuel Gas 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.