National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 30.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 211,539 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 94,521 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of National Fuel Gas worth $12,821,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in NFG. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 20.2% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 190,996 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $10,260,000 after purchasing an additional 32,121 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE raised its position in National Fuel Gas by 4.5% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 25,400 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $1,364,000 after acquiring an additional 1,105 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the 1st quarter valued at about $429,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 97,838 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $5,649,000 after purchasing an additional 2,581 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 53,894 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $2,875,000 after purchasing an additional 3,497 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. StockNews.com cut National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, October 19th. Bank of America began coverage on National Fuel Gas in a report on Monday, October 28th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th.

Insider Buying and Selling at National Fuel Gas

In other news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total transaction of $103,309.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 8,203 shares in the company, valued at $498,496.31. The trade was a 17.17 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 1.55% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $61.08 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $5.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.41 and a beta of 0.62. The company’s fifty day moving average is $60.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $58.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. National Fuel Gas has a 12-month low of $45.32 and a 12-month high of $63.54.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th were paid a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 254.32%.

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.