LSV Asset Management Cuts Stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

LSV Asset Management lessened its holdings in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,742,638 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 49,100 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management owned 1.89% of National Fuel Gas worth $87,428,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 103,314 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $5,142,000 after buying an additional 21,748 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in National Fuel Gas by 2.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,190,115 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $684,699,000 after purchasing an additional 311,599 shares during the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,674,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 12.9% in the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 298,410 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $14,971,000 after purchasing an additional 34,156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 16.2% in the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 7,516 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $377,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSE:NFG traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $54.87. The company had a trading volume of 442,680 shares, compared to its average volume of 521,104. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 0.47. National Fuel Gas has a 52 week low of $45.32 and a 52 week high of $55.99. The company has a market capitalization of $5.06 billion, a PE ratio of 10.89 and a beta of 0.63. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $52.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $50.85.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $1.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.38. The company had revenue of $629.94 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $767.33 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 23.84% and a return on equity of 15.06%. National Fuel Gas’s revenue was down 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.54 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 4.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 28th were given a dividend of $0.495 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $1.98 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.61%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on NFG shares. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of National Fuel Gas from $67.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. StockNews.com raised National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 20th.

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.