National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Rating Increased to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report released on Friday morning.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Scotiabank increased their target price on National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE NFG opened at $63.99 on Friday. National Fuel Gas has a twelve month low of $45.32 and a twelve month high of $65.06. The stock has a market cap of $5.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 79.00 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company’s fifty day moving average is $61.08 and its 200-day moving average is $58.53.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.515 per share. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 254.32%.

Insider Activity

In related news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total transaction of $103,309.00. Following the sale, the general counsel now owns 8,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $498,496.31. This represents a 17.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.55% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 44.2% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,498,205 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $151,416,000 after buying an additional 765,236 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 159.5% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 880,434 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $47,711,000 after purchasing an additional 541,176 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 194.3% during the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 378,588 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $20,516,000 after purchasing an additional 249,967 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its position in National Fuel Gas by 262.5% during the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 318,078 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $17,237,000 after buying an additional 230,332 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the second quarter worth approximately $10,741,000. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

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.