Latest news with #Williamsville
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why National Fuel Gas (NFG) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus. Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns. National Fuel Gas (NFG) is headquartered in Williamsville, and is in the Oils-Energy sector. The stock has seen a price change of 38.78% since the start of the year. The energy company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.51 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.54%. This compares to the Oil and Gas - Integrated - United States industry's yield of 2.25% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.52%. Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $2.14 is up 5.9% from last year. Over the last 5 years, National Fuel Gas has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 3.69%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. National Fuel Gas's current payout ratio is 35%, meaning it paid out 35% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend. Earnings growth looks solid for NFG for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $6.82 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 36.13%. Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout. Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. Income investors must be conscious of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, NFG is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report National Fuel Gas Company (NFG) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
National Fuel Increases Dividend Rate for 55th Consecutive Year
WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the National Fuel Gas Company ("National Fuel" or the "Company") (NYSE: NFG) Board of Directors approved a 3.9% increase in the dividend on the Company's common stock, raising the quarterly rate from 51.5 cents per share as approved in June 2024 to 53.5 cents per share for an annual rate of $2.14 per share. National Fuel has paid dividends for 123 consecutive years and has increased its annual dividend for 55 straight years. This dividend is payable July 15, 2025, to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 30, 2025. The Company has approximately 90.4 million shares of common stock outstanding. It has no preferred stock outstanding. National Fuel is a diversified energy company headquartered in Western New York that operates an integrated collection of natural gas assets across four business segments: Exploration & Production, Pipeline & Storage, Gathering, and Utility. Additional information about National Fuel is available at CONTACT: Investor Contact: Natalie Fischer | 716-857-7315 Media Contact: Karen Merkel | 716-857-7654Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
'A great kid': Students, sports teams honor late Petersburg teen in a personal way
Just before the start of basketball practice last fall, PORTA boys coach Steven Price heard Grant Withers, a tall, lanky, but athletic kid still growing into his body, didn't plan on coming out for the team. In a story related by Brett Leischner, the assistant principal for the junior/senior high school in Petersburg, Price, who saw potential in Withers' athletic ability, approached the 15-year-old at school about what was behind his decision. "(Withers) said, 'Well, coach, I'm real sorry, but I just want to hunt more,'" Leischner recalled. "And that's what he did." More: Coroner identifies 15-year-old who died in weekend shooting outside of Petersburg On Monday, two days after Withers sustained a gunshot wound that would prove fatal at his family's home in the 15000 block of Tice Road just east of Petersburg, students honored Withers and his family by wearing camo shirts, jackets and pants to school. The idea caught on. PORTA's girls' basketball team donned camo warmups, as did its Sangamo Conference opponent, Williamsville. Porta's wrestlers and teams from Beardstown and Farmington also saluted Withers at a meet on Tuesday. Withers also liked to ride dirt bikes and four-wheelers, according to a GoFundMe page set up to support funeral and additional expenses related to his passing. Illinois State Police, which is leading the investigation, has not divulged details of the fatal shooting. Menard County Sheriff's deputies were called to the scene around 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 1. Withers' father, Richard Withers, 40, also died of a gunshot wound, according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. PORTA brought in counselors for students for the week, Leischner said, including its former high school principal, Amy McMahan, who was a guidance counselor and now works in the Havana school system. Surrounding school districts, he added, volunteered to send in help. The district also made therapy dogs available to students, said PORTA Superintendent Shannon Duling. "We had a lot of supports on Monday," Duling said. "Kids and staff leaned on each other throughout the day and just kind of remembered Grant. "We had lots of different areas for kids to talk to one another. Fortunately, we had a nice (weather) day, so we had kids who walked the track and tried to get some physical movement." "It was amazing to see some kids you really didn't think Grant interacted with a lot who were really affected by it, too," Leischner added. "I think that just really speaks to how well Grant was liked and just that everyone knew he was a great kid." Leischner taught Withers as a seventh grader and coached him in basketball and baseball. Withers played football at PORTA. Withers, he remembered, had a competitive side, even in recess or PE class, but he was "super kind and a good teammate. He would do anything to help out the team." Like Withers had a close-knit circle of friends, Leischner said, Petersburg is a close-knit community. That's what's made the situation so devastating, he said. "This hurt a lot of people. I'm not going to sugarcoat that," said Leischner, a PORTA graduate. "But I think it's going as well as it can. I've been incredibly, incredibly impressed by our staff here. They've gone above and beyond for our kids, checking in with them, understanding what they're going through. "But it's hard. It hit our staff hard, and the kids, obviously. One of the great things about our community and our school and our district is that we wrap around each other, and we make sure that we get through things together." Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@ X, This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Small town near Springfield grapples with fatal shooting of 15-year-old
