Signaturefd LLC Trims Stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Signaturefd LLC lessened its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 29.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,717 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 1,146 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $136,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. grew its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 35.6% in the fourth quarter. Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. now owns 12,444 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $624,000 after purchasing an additional 3,268 shares during the last quarter. AIA Group Ltd grew its stake in National Fuel Gas by 28.6% in the 4th quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 18,091 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $908,000 after acquiring an additional 4,026 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 31.3% during the fourth quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 4,859 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $244,000 after acquiring an additional 1,157 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 7.2% during the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 20,673 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,037,000 after acquiring an additional 1,380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 12.9% in the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 298,410 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $14,971,000 after purchasing an additional 34,156 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NFG stock opened at $53.92 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $4.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.30 and a beta of 0.63. National Fuel Gas has a 52-week low of $45.32 and a 52-week high of $56.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The company’s 50 day moving average is $51.90 and its 200 day moving average is $50.85.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.14. The business 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 was down 20.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.84 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas will post 4.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 28th were issued a $0.495 dividend. This represents a $1.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.67%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NFG has been the topic of several research reports. Scotiabank raised their price objective on National Fuel Gas from $67.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. StockNews.com upgraded National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 20th.

About National Fuel Gas

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.