Mackenzie Financial Corp Boosts Stock Position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 1.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 359,845 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after buying an additional 3,928 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp owned approximately 0.40% of National Fuel Gas worth $21,835,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Schroder Investment Management Group grew its position in National Fuel Gas by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 9,122 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $551,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares during the period. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth about $238,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth about $67,393,000. ING Groep NV acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth about $1,086,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $862,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company's stock.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of National Fuel Gas stock traded down $0.03 on Thursday, reaching $81.93. The company's stock had a trading volume of 393,317 shares, compared to its average volume of 559,262. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $7.40 billion, a P/E ratio of -585.17 and a beta of 0.61. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $78.90 and a 200-day moving average price of $71.24. National Fuel Gas has a 52-week low of $53.03 and a 52-week high of $83.68.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.21. National Fuel Gas had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 15.96%. The company had revenue of $729.95 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $770.81 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.79 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.51%. National Fuel Gas's payout ratio is currently 479.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on NFG shares. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $82.33.

National Fuel Gas Company Profile

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.