Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Has $59.52 Million Position in National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) by 46.1% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 644,337 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 203,443 shares during the period. Clark Capital Management Group Inc.’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $59,517,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in National Fuel Gas by 103.4% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,138,153 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $197,501,000 after buying an additional 1,087,067 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 2nd quarter valued at $91,964,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 642.7% in the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 465,830 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $39,460,000 after acquiring an additional 403,107 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 428.8% in the third quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 308,466 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $28,493,000 after acquiring an additional 250,130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 99.6% during the third quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. now owns 465,254 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $42,976,000 after acquiring an additional 232,130 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 2.8%

National Fuel Gas stock opened at $96.38 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. National Fuel Gas Company has a 1-year low of $69.93 and a 1-year high of $96.78. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $85.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $84.54. The company has a market capitalization of $9.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.57.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $651.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $650.70 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 27.65% and a return on equity of 21.45%. National Fuel Gas’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.66 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas Company will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.535 per share. This represents a $2.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is 29.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on NFG. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised National Fuel Gas from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Scotiabank set a $101.00 price target on National Fuel Gas in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $104.00.

About National Fuel Gas

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.