National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $63.57 and last traded at $63.56, with a volume of 217312 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $61.67.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on NFG shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Scotiabank increased their price objective on National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Argus raised National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Monday, October 28th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 price objective on the stock. 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 given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, National Fuel Gas has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 1.1 %

The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $61.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $58.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.87 billion, a PE ratio of 79.31 and a beta of 0.62.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.21%. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is 254.32%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other National Fuel Gas news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total transaction of $103,309.00. Following the sale, the general counsel now owns 8,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $498,496.31. This represents a 17.17 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Beacon Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Valley National Advisers Inc. acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

About National Fuel Gas

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.