National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) had its price objective lifted by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $77.00 to $81.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the oil and gas producer’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target would suggest a potential upside of 5.90% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on NFG. StockNews.com raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Argus raised shares of National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $74.67.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 2.5 %

Shares of NFG stock opened at $76.49 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -546.32 and a beta of 0.57. National Fuel Gas has a one year low of $50.72 and a one year high of $76.58. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $70.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.33.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.22. National Fuel Gas had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 15.96%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NFG. Atria Investments Inc purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter worth $219,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. First Heartland Consultants Inc. purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter worth $295,000. MQS Management LLC grew its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. MQS Management LLC now owns 8,631 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $523,000 after buying an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 25.9% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 4,123 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $250,000 after purchasing an additional 848 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.