National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Shares Sold by Aull & Monroe Investment Management Corp

Aull & Monroe Investment Management Corp reduced its position in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 7.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 17,041 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 1,400 shares during the period. Aull & Monroe Investment Management Corp’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $1,034,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth about $9,067,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth approximately $862,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,584,155 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $156,807,000 after acquiring an additional 85,950 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 55,361 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $3,359,000 after acquiring an additional 1,064 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 165.8% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 9,618 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $584,000 after acquiring an additional 5,999 shares during the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NFG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Argus upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 0.3 %

NFG opened at $74.89 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.78 billion, a P/E ratio of -534.88 and a beta of 0.57. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $68.45 and its 200-day moving average is $63.51. National Fuel Gas has a 52-week low of $49.90 and a 52-week high of $76.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.22. National Fuel Gas had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 15.96%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. Analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.75%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently -1,471.43%.

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.