National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Downgraded to “Sell” Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com cut shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report released on Monday.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on NFG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Bank of America started coverage on National Fuel Gas in a research report on Monday, October 28th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. Finally, Argus raised National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Trading Down 2.0 %

NFG stock opened at $68.10 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.19 billion, a PE ratio of 84.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.25. National Fuel Gas has a 12 month low of $45.32 and a 12 month high of $70.12. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $62.97 and its 200 day moving average is $60.90.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.515 per share. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.02%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is 254.32%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Justin I. Loweth sold 19,532 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.27, for a total transaction of $1,216,257.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 41,841 shares in the company, valued at $2,605,439.07. The trade was a 31.83 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Donna L. Decarolis sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.58, for a total transaction of $625,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 81,519 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,101,459.02. This trade represents a 10.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Financial Advocates Investment Management increased its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 13.5% in the fourth quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 4,660 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $283,000 after acquiring an additional 556 shares during the period. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth approximately $282,000. Spirit of America Management Corp NY grew its stake in National Fuel Gas by 96.8% in the 4th quarter. Spirit of America Management Corp NY now owns 3,050 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $185,000 after acquiring an additional 1,500 shares during the period. S.A. Mason LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 234.0% during the 4th quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 3,140 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $191,000 after buying an additional 2,200 shares in the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About National Fuel Gas

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.