National Fuel Gas Company reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2024. They earned 99 cents for each share of their stock, which is more than what people expected (7.6%). But they earned less money than they did during the same time last year (2%). They made $417.4 million in total, which is less than what people expected (20.9%) and also less than what they made last year ($428.7 million).

The costs for running their business went up a lot (70.7%) and they had to pay more interest on their debt (25.1%). But they still produced a lot of natural gas (96.5 billion cubic feet) despite having to cut back because of low prices.

They think they will make more money in the future, so they raised their earnings guidance for this fiscal year and next fiscal year. They also plan to spend more money on capital projects. Read from source...

- The article does not provide a clear context or introduction for the topic. It jumps right into the financial results, without explaining why the reader should care or what the main points are.
- The article uses vague and misleading terms, such as "missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate", without specifying by how much or what the estimate was based on. This creates confusion and doubt about the reliability of the information.
- The article does not provide any analysis or interpretation of the results, other than stating that they "surpassed" or "decreased" the previous figures. This does not help the reader understand the implications or causes of the performance.
- The article does not address any of the challenges or risks that NFG faces, such as regulatory changes, environmental issues, competition, etc. This leaves out a significant part of the picture and makes the article incomplete and biased.
- The article does not cite any sources or references for the data or quotes that it presents. This makes it difficult for the reader to verify or compare the information with other sources.
- The article ends with a promotional section for Benzinga's services, which is irrelevant and intrusive for the topic. It also implies that the article is sponsored or influenced by Benzinga, which undermines its credibility.

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Article's Topic: National Fuel Gas Company's Q3 earnings report

Summary:
National Fuel Gas Company reported Q3 fiscal 2024 earnings of 99 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 92 cents but decreasing 2% YoY. Revenues of $417.4 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $528 million and declined 2.6% YoY. The company narrowed its fiscal 2024 earnings guidance and expects its fiscal 2025 earnings to be in the range of $5.75-$6.25 per share. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

National Fuel Gas Company (NFG)
National Fuel Gas Company (NFG) reported third-quarter fiscal 2024 adjusted operating earnings of 99 cents per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 92 cents by 7.6%. However, the bottom line decreased 2% from the year-ago quarter's reported figure of $1.01. Total Revenues NFG reported sales of $417.4 million, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $528 million by 20.9%. The top line also declined 2.6% from the prior-year recorded figure of $428.7 million. Segmental Revenues Utility: Revenues totaled $124.8 million, down 13.6% from $144.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Exploration and Production and Other Revenues: Revenues totaled $220.9 million, up 2% from $216.6 million in the year-ago quarter. Pipeline and Storage and Gathering: Revenues amounted to $71.7 million, implying a 6.1% increase from $67.6 million recorded in the year-ago quarter. Highlights of the Release Total operating expenses increased 70.7% to $468.9 million year over year. This was primarily due to higher operation and maintenance expenses and higher depreciation and amortization. Operating loss was $51.4 million against an income of $154.1 million in the year-ago quarter. Interest expenses totaled $32.9 million, up 25.1% from the year-ago figure of $26.3 million. The Exploration & Production segment produced 96.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas, up 2% year over year despite approximately 5.6 Bcf of price-related curtailments in the quarter.