Ensign Peak Advisors Inc Has $2.62 Million Stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Ensign Peak Advisors Inc lessened its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 11.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,398 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 5,965 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc owned 0.05% of National Fuel Gas worth $2,623,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in National Fuel Gas by 30.7% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 14,955 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $750,000 after buying an additional 3,515 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 8.3% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 263,689 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $13,229,000 after acquiring an additional 20,203 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 151,369 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $7,594,000 after purchasing an additional 10,004 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 61.8% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,205 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $311,000 after purchasing an additional 2,370 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in National Fuel Gas by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 40,654 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $2,040,000 after purchasing an additional 415 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $60.60 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The stock has a market cap of $5.57 billion, a PE ratio of 12.02 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $59.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $56.18. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $45.32 and a 1-year high of $61.56.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.03. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 16.42% and a return on equity of 14.80%. The company had revenue of $417.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $540.62 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.01 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas will post 5.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.87%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on NFG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Scotiabank raised 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. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th.

Insider Activity at National Fuel Gas

In other National Fuel Gas news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total value of $103,309.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel now owns 8,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $498,496.31. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.