Securian Asset Management Inc. Cuts Position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Securian Asset Management Inc. lowered its position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,906 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 198 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $419,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,584,155 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $156,807,000 after purchasing an additional 85,950 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in National Fuel Gas by 0.9% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 920,918 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $55,817,000 after buying an additional 7,830 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 33.3% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 220,869 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $13,386,000 after buying an additional 55,152 shares during the last quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. now owns 159,753 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $9,694,000 after acquiring an additional 792 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter valued at about $9,067,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $77.06 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market cap of $6.98 billion, a P/E ratio of -550.42 and a beta of 0.57. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $51.14 and a 1-year high of $77.90. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $70.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $64.51.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 in the prior year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is currently -1,471.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on NFG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. Argus raised 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 issued a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, National Fuel Gas currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $74.67.

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.