First Heartland Consultants Inc. Invests $295,000 in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

First Heartland Consultants Inc. purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 4,870 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $295,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 696 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. now owns 30,021 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,820,000 after buying an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 21,743 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,168,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 6.2% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 4,182 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $227,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 53,460 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $2,873,000 after buying an additional 244 shares during the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on NFG. StockNews.com downgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of 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.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $60.93 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $5.57 billion, a PE ratio of 75.22 and a beta of 0.62. The company’s fifty day moving average is $60.68 and its 200 day moving average is $58.08. National Fuel Gas has a 52 week low of $45.32 and a 52 week high of $63.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th were issued a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.38%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 254.32%.

Insider Activity

In other news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of National Fuel Gas stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 25th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $498,496.31. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.55% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas 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.