Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc. trimmed its position in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 6.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 70,036 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 4,979 shares during the quarter. National Fuel Gas makes up about 1.0% of Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc.’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $3,514,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 119.8% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 567 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC boosted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 166.4% during the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 690 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter worth $95,000. Finally, ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at about $164,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on NFG. StockNews.com raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 20th. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $67.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 0.3 %

NYSE:NFG traded up $0.18 on Tuesday, reaching $53.75. 537,901 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 574,359. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.27 and a beta of 0.63. The business has a fifty day moving average of $51.36 and a 200-day moving average of $50.83. National Fuel Gas has a 52-week low of $45.32 and a 52-week high of $56.67.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.14. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 21.58% and a return on equity of 14.81%. The company had revenue of $525.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $664.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.84 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 20.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 4.87 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 28th were issued a $0.495 dividend. This represents a $1.98 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.68%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is currently 41.51%.

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.