Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Boosts Stock Position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 28.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 73,330 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after buying an additional 16,260 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC owned about 0.08% of National Fuel Gas worth $4,234,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 68.9% in the 4th quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 760 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares during the last quarter. New Hampshire Trust purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Machina Capital S.A.S. bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the first quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Fred Alger Management LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 21.4% during the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,015 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. 73.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $53.75 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $52.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $53.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.84, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.67. National Fuel Gas has a 52-week low of $48.89 and a 52-week high of $72.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.61.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The oil and gas producer reported $1.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $428.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $480.10 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 25.06% and a return on equity of 19.71%. Analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 5.31 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 14th. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th were issued a $0.495 dividend. This is a boost from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. This represents a $1.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.68%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 29th. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com downgraded National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, August 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of National Fuel Gas from $60.00 to $54.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 24th. Finally, Argus lowered their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $76.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th.

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 in California and in the Appalachian region of the United States.