National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Reaches New 52-Week High - Time to Buy?

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $80.35 and last traded at $80.09, with a volume of 111334 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $79.20.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $74.67.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $77.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $69.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.45 billion, a PE ratio of -587.24 and a beta of 0.61.

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 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $729.95 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $770.81 million. National Fuel Gas had a positive return on equity of 15.96% and a negative net margin of 0.53%. The company's revenue was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.79 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Schroder Investment Management Group lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at $238,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth approximately $67,393,000. ING Groep NV bought a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth about $1,086,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $862,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.