Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. Takes $1.15 Million Position in National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Key Points

• Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. has acquired 14,509 shares of National Fuel Gas Company, valued at approximately $1,149,000, during the first quarter.
• National Fuel Gas recently declared an increased quarterly dividend of $0.535, up from $0.52, indicating an annual yield of 2.5%.
• Analyst ratings for National Fuel Gas include a mix of "Moderate Buy" consensus, with recent upgrades and downgrades affecting the stock's performance and target price, now set at $96.67.

Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 14,509 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock, valued at approximately $1,149,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in National Fuel Gas by 9,475.0% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 383 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the period. Quarry LP acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 316.7% during the 1st quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 400 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Cranbrook Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in National Fuel Gas during the first quarter worth about $40,000. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 10th. Scotiabank reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Bank of America upgraded National Fuel Gas from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $85.00 to $107.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Zacks Research cut National Fuel Gas from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, August 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $96.67.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NFG traded down $1.06 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $86.01. 548,332 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 522,594. National Fuel Gas Company has a 52-week low of $58.50 and a 52-week high of $89.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The company's 50-day moving average price is $86.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $81.38. The company has a market cap of $7.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.61.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $531.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $596.12 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 20.81% and a net margin of 11.15%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 27.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.99 EPS. National Fuel Gas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.000-8.500 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 6.800-6.950 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas Company will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th were paid a $0.535 dividend. This represents a $2.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a positive change from National Fuel Gas's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. National Fuel Gas's payout ratio is presently 80.45%.

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.