National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Price Target Increased to $75.00 by Analysts at Scotiabank

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) had its target price hoisted by stock analysts at Scotiabank from $72.00 to $75.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “sector outperform” rating on the oil and gas producer’s stock. Scotiabank’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 32.93% from the company’s previous close.

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 20th.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 1.0 %

NYSE NFG traded up $0.56 on Thursday, hitting $56.42. 344,216 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 571,377. The company has a market capitalization of $5.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.19 and a beta of 0.63. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $52.71 and a 200 day moving average of $50.89. National Fuel Gas has a twelve month low of $45.32 and a twelve month high of $56.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its 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. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 15.06% and a net margin of 23.84%. The firm had revenue of $629.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $767.33 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.54 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 4.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 119.8% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 567 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC grew its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 166.4% during the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 690 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the period. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 123.0% in the first quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 767 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the period. Finally, LifeSteps Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the first quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.