Phocas Financial Corp. Acquires Shares of 88,511 National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Key Points

• Phocas Financial Corp. bought a new stake of 88,511 shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE: NFG) in Q4, valued at about $7.09 million and representing roughly 0.09% ownership.
• National Fuel Gas beat Q4 expectations with EPS of $2.06 versus $1.91 and revenue of $651.5M (up 18.6% year-over-year), and analysts project about 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.535 (annualized $2.14, yield ~2.4% and DPR ~29.9%); the stock trades at a PE of 12.55 with a market cap near $8.55B and an average analyst target of $106 ("Moderate Buy").

Phocas Financial Corp. acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 88,511 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock, valued at approximately $7,086,000. Phocas Financial Corp. owned about 0.09% of National Fuel Gas at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 3,184 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $294,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 17,927 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $1,435,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,238 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $299,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the period. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 88.5% during the 3rd quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 360 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the period. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 12,050 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $965,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.96% of the company's stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NFG stock opened at $89.99 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. National Fuel Gas Company has a 52 week low of $75.73 and a 52 week high of $97.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.55 billion, a PE ratio of 12.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.52. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $91.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $85.45.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.91 by $0.15. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 27.65% and a return on equity of 21.45%. The company had revenue of $651.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $650.70 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.66 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas Company will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a $0.535 dividend. This represents a $2.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.85%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on NFG shares. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $110.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Scotiabank set a $101.00 price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $106.00.

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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