Armbruster Capital Management Inc. Makes New Investment in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Armbruster Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 22,232 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,349,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of NFG. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the third quarter valued at $29,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 82.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 481 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 38.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 696 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at National Fuel Gas

In other National Fuel Gas news, insider Donna L. Decarolis sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.58, for a total value of $625,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 81,519 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,101,459.02. The trade was a 10.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Justin I. Loweth sold 19,532 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.27, for a total value of $1,216,257.64. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 41,841 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,605,439.07. This represents a 31.83 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.55% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 0.1 %

NFG stock opened at $69.49 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $62.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.82. 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 $70.12. The company has a market cap of $6.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 85.79, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.64.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is currently 254.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NFG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Bank of America began coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research report on Monday, October 28th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of 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. StockNews.com raised National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Argus raised National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, National Fuel Gas currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.00.

About National Fuel Gas

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.