Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. Purchases New Stake in National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 40,600 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $3,250,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 30.0% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 159,953 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $12,667,000 after acquiring an additional 36,913 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the first quarter valued at $247,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 3.9% in the first 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 acquiring an additional 8,304 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 79.5% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 12,729 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,008,000 after acquiring an additional 5,638 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $138,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $77.26 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.37. National Fuel Gas Company has a 1-year low of $77.07 and a 1-year high of $97.06. The company’s fifty day moving average is $87.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $85.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.62.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.85 by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $858.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $856.57 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 27.48%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.39 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.66 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.535 per share. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is 28.96%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded National Fuel Gas from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Zacks Research raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, KeyCorp started coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $106.00.

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.