National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) Short Interest Update

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 3,854,399 shares, a decrease of 13.8% from the January 15th total of 4,472,596 shares. Currently, 4.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 878,994 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.4 days. Based on an average trading volume of 878,994 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.4 days. Currently, 4.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on NFG. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research lowered National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Scotiabank set a $101.00 target price on National Fuel Gas in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $96.33.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NFG opened at $86.33 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $8.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.04, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.60. National Fuel Gas has a twelve month low of $69.93 and a twelve month high of $94.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The company has a 50 day moving average of $82.39 and a 200 day moving average of $84.04.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $651.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $650.70 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 21.45% and a net margin of 27.65%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.66 EPS. National Fuel Gas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.600-8.100 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.535 per share. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.85%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 30.0% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 159,953 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $12,667,000 after buying an additional 36,913 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the first quarter worth about $247,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 220,730 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $17,480,000 after purchasing an additional 8,304 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth increased its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 79.5% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 12,729 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,008,000 after purchasing an additional 5,638 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 1st quarter valued at about $138,000. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

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.