National Fuel Gas Company $NFG Stock Position Decreased by Meeder Asset Management Inc.

Key Points

• Meeder Asset Management cut its stake in National Fuel Gas by 76.2% in the first quarter, leaving it with 4,962 shares valued at about $466,000.
• The stock has drawn mixed analyst views, with KeyCorp starting coverage at Overweight and a $110 price target, while the overall consensus remains Moderate Buy with a $105.50 target.
• National Fuel Gas recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.555 per share, giving it an annualized yield of 2.7%, though its latest earnings missed EPS estimates even as revenue grew year over year.

Meeder Asset Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 76.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,962 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after selling 15,928 shares during the quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $466,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in NFG. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position in National Fuel Gas by 458.0% during the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 279 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Fairscale Capital LLC bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. HM Payson & Co. bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Finally, SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth $44,000. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on NFG. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $110.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of National Fuel Gas from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $105.50.

National Fuel Gas Stock Down 0.4%

NFG opened at $80.84 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $78.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $84.43. National Fuel Gas Company has a twelve month low of $75.17 and a twelve month high of $97.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market cap of $7.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.37.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.85 by ($0.14). National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 27.48% and a return on equity of 20.62%. The company had revenue of $858.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $856.57 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.39 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.66 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This is a boost from National Fuel Gas's previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.04%.

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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