National Fuel Gas Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y

Core Insights - National Fuel Gas Company (NFG) reported strong fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 adjusted operating earnings of $1.22 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.08 by 12.96% and marking a 58% increase from the previous year's figure of 77 cents [1][7] - Total revenues for the quarter were $456.4 million, falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $547 million by 16.6%, but representing a 22.6% increase from $372.1 million in the prior year [2] - NFG announced a significant acquisition of CenterPoint Energy's Ohio natural gas utility for $2.62 billion, expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, which is anticipated to double the Utility segment's rate base [5][7] Financial Performance - Fiscal full-year operating earnings reached $6.91 per share, up 37.9% from $5.01 in fiscal 2024 [1] - Total operating expenses decreased to $276.6 million, down 51.35% from $568.6 million in the year-ago quarter, leading to an operating income of $179.8 million compared to an operating loss of $196.6 million in the previous year [4] - Net cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 2025 totaled $1.1 billion, slightly up from $1.07 billion in the previous year [8] Segment Performance - Utility segment revenues totaled $87.8 million, a 10% increase from $79.8 million in the year-ago quarter [3] - Integrated upstream and Gathering and Other segments reported revenues of $300.4 million, up 33.6% from $224.9 million in the prior year [3] - Pipeline and Storage segment revenues amounted to $68.2 million, reflecting a 1.3% increase from $67.3 million recorded in the year-ago quarter [3] Production and Guidance - During the fiscal fourth quarter, Seneca produced 112 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas, an increase of 20 Bcf, or 21%, from the prior-year level [5] - NFG provided guidance for adjusted earnings per share for fiscal 2026 in the range of $7.60 to $8.10, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate at $7.83 [9] - The company expects capital expenditure for fiscal 2026 to be between $0.96 billion and $1.07 billion, with production anticipated in the range of 440-455 Bcf [9]