ING Groep NV Takes Position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

ING Groep NV bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 17,900 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,086,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the third quarter valued at $28,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in National Fuel Gas by 82.9% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 481 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, S.A. Mason LLC purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com raised National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Argus raised shares of National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 price target on the stock. 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Justin I. Loweth sold 19,532 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.27, for a total transaction of $1,216,257.64. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 41,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,605,439.07. This trade represents a 31.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Donna L. Decarolis sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.58, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 10.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.41% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Trading Down 0.2 %

NFG opened at $72.58 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -518.41 and a beta of 0.64. National Fuel Gas has a 52 week low of $48.06 and a 52 week high of $73.60. The business’s 50 day moving average is $66.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $62.76. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.84%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1,471.32%.

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.