Nomura Holdings Inc. Invests $736,000 in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Nomura Holdings Inc. acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 12,122 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock, valued at approximately $736,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of NFG. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 82.9% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 481 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. S.A. Mason LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 223.2% during the fourth quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 656 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 453 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company's stock.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of NYSE:NFG traded up $1.92 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $82.47. The stock had a trading volume of 480,329 shares, compared to its average volume of 560,759. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.39. The company has a market cap of $7.45 billion, a PE ratio of -589.04 and a beta of 0.61. National Fuel Gas has a 12-month low of $53.03 and a 12-month high of $83.35. The company's 50 day moving average is $78.67 and its 200-day moving average is $70.92.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.18 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $729.95 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $770.81 million. National Fuel Gas had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 15.96%. The company's revenue was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.79 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio is currently 479.07%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NFG has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. Bank of America lifted their target price on National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised 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 given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, National Fuel Gas currently 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.