HighTower Advisors LLC Boosts Position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 15.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,408 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,244 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $1,487,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 7,698 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $467,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the third quarter valued at $1,277,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in National Fuel Gas by 76.1% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 31,790 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,927,000 after buying an additional 13,739 shares during the period. Evergreen Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the second quarter valued at $718,000. Finally, Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the third quarter worth about $1,066,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

NYSE NFG opened at $61.37 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $61.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.14. The company has a market cap of $5.57 billion, a PE ratio of 75.77 and a beta of 0.63. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $45.32 and a 1-year high of $65.06.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.36%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 254.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NFG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Scotiabank raised their target price on National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. Argus raised National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Bank of America assumed coverage on National Fuel Gas in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, November 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.00.

Insider Transactions at National Fuel Gas

In other National Fuel Gas news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total transaction of $103,309.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel now owns 8,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $498,496.31. The trade was a 17.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 value of $625,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 81,519 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,101,459.02. This trade represents a 10.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,232 shares of company stock valued at $1,945,367 over the last 90 days. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.