National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Sell

StockNews.com downgraded shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report released on Monday.

Separately, Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a sector outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NFG traded up $0.62 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $57.90. The company had a trading volume of 583,330 shares, compared to its average volume of 554,197. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $56.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $53.20. The stock has a market cap of $5.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.56 and a beta of 0.62. National Fuel Gas has a 52 week low of $45.32 and a 52 week high of $59.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $417.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $540.62 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 16.42% and a return on equity of 14.80%. The company’s revenue was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.01 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 28th were given a dividend of $0.515 per share. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.56%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. This is an increase from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.87%.

Insider Activity at National Fuel Gas

In related news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 6,357 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.83, for a total transaction of $348,554.31. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel now owns 9,903 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $542,981.49. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 1.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NFG. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in National Fuel Gas by 29.0% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 58,529 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $2,936,000 after purchasing an additional 13,163 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 41,578 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $2,086,000 after acquiring an additional 1,166 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 119.8% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 567 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 309 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 6.5% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,399 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $271,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the period. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 8,630.9% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 336,139 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $16,864,000 after acquiring an additional 332,289 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

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.