National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Upgraded 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 research note issued to investors on Friday morning.

NFG has been the subject of a number of other research reports. 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 research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Bank of America began 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. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price target 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NFG stock opened at $64.24 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 79.31 and a beta of 0.62. National Fuel Gas has a one year low of $45.32 and a one year high of $64.30. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $61.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $58.44.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th were issued a dividend of $0.515 per share. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is 254.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other National Fuel Gas news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total transaction of $103,309.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel now owns 8,203 shares in the company, valued at $498,496.31. This trade represents a 17.17 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. MQS Management LLC increased its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 2.0% in the third quarter. MQS Management LLC now owns 8,631 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $523,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of 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 worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. increased its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management raised its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 6.2% during 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 acquiring an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 0.5% during the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 53,460 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $2,873,000 after purchasing an additional 244 shares during the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.