Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC Sells 22,502 Shares of National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Key Points

• Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors cut its stake in National Fuel Gas by 14.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 22,502 shares and ending with 132,779 shares valued at about $10.63 million.
• National Fuel Gas reported quarterly EPS of $2.71, missing analyst expectations of $2.85, while revenue came in slightly above estimates at $858.37 million and rose 17.6% year over year.
• The company continues to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.535 per share ($2.14 annualized), yielding about 2.7%, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $106.00.

Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 14.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 132,779 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after selling 22,502 shares during the period. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC owned 0.14% of National Fuel Gas worth $10,630,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. AlphaQuest LLC boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 82.9% during the 4th quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 42,962 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $3,440,000 after purchasing an additional 19,469 shares in the last quarter. Smithfield Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at about $184,000. Bleakley Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 62,971 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $5,041,000 after purchasing an additional 1,536 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 19.2% during the 4th quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC now owns 8,676 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $695,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 74.5% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 738 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company's stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of National Fuel Gas stock opened at $79.82 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $7.59 billion, a PE ratio of 10.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.41. National Fuel Gas Company has a 52 week low of $77.22 and a 52 week high of $97.06. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $88.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $85.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.71 EPS 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 analysts' expectations of $856.57 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 27.48% and a return on equity of 20.62%. The business's revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.39 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.535 per share. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded National Fuel Gas from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a research report on Friday. KeyCorp began coverage on National Fuel Gas in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $110.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research raised National Fuel Gas from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, National Fuel Gas presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.00.

National Fuel Gas 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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