Flputnam Investment Management Co. Invests $2.24 Million in National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Key Points

• Flputnam Investment Management acquired 28,957 shares of National Fuel Gas worth approximately $2.24 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 73.96% of the company.
• Analysts give NFG a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”, with a $105.50 average price target; the stock recently opened at $81.71.
• National Fuel Gas exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.54 in EPS versus $1.44 forecast, while increasing its quarterly dividend to $0.555 per share, a 2.7% annualized yield.

Flputnam Investment Management Co. acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 28,957 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock, valued at approximately $2,236,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 458.0% during the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 279 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 229 shares during the period. Fairscale Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. HM Payson & Co. bought a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in National Fuel Gas during the first quarter worth $38,000. Finally, SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth $44,000. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NFG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $105.50.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NFG opened at $81.71 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.37. National Fuel Gas Company has a 52 week low of $75.17 and a 52 week high of $97.06. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $79.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $84.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 3.07 and a current ratio of 3.20.

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

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This is a positive change from National Fuel Gas's previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.83%.

National Fuel Gas Company Profile

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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