National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded National Fuel Gas from “hold” to “sell,” while Weiss Ratings also lowered its rating from “buy (b)” to “buy (b-).” Despite these cuts, the overall analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with a $105.50 average price target.
• National Fuel Gas opened at $82.97, with a 52-week range of $75.17 to $97.06 and an $7.89 billion market capitalization. Its latest quarterly earnings of $1.54 per share exceeded estimates, though revenue came in below expectations.
• Institutional investors own approximately 73.96% of the company, with several funds increasing their positions during the second quarter, including the California State Teachers’ Retirement System.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings cut shares of National Fuel Gas from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, National Fuel Gas currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $105.50.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

NYSE NFG opened at $82.97 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $80.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $84.49. The company has a current ratio of 3.20, a quick ratio of 3.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. National Fuel Gas has a twelve month low of $75.17 and a twelve month high of $97.06. The company has a market capitalization of $7.89 billion, a PE ratio of 11.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.37.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.10. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 19.04% and a net margin of 26.97%.The company had revenue of $537.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $564.33 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.64 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 7.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. VELA Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 33.5% in the 2nd quarter. VELA Investment Management LLC now owns 45,298 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $3,497,000 after purchasing an additional 11,373 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP grew its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 29.8% during the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 16,688 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $1,293,000 after purchasing an additional 3,836 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,489,000. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in National Fuel Gas by 7,517.2% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 8,088,211 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $624,491,000 after purchasing an additional 7,982,027 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $433,000. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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