EP Wealth Advisors LLC Grows Stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

EP Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 42.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,051 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,415 shares during the quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $489,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 82.9% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 481 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. S.A. Mason LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 223.2% during the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 656 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 453 shares in the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NFG stock opened at $81.90 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $77.51 and its 200 day moving average is $69.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.40 billion, a P/E ratio of -584.96 and a beta of 0.61. National Fuel Gas has a 12 month low of $53.03 and a 12 month high of $83.35.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $729.95 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $770.81 million. National Fuel Gas had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 15.96%. National Fuel Gas’s revenue was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.79 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.515 per share. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.52%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 479.07%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NFG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.67.

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.