National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Insider Donna L. Decarolis Sells 10,000 Shares

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) insider Donna L. Decarolis sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider now owns 81,519 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,101,459.02. The trade was a 10.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NFG stock opened at $61.17 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $5.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 75.52 and a beta of 0.63. National Fuel Gas has a 52-week low of $45.32 and a 52-week high of $65.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company’s 50 day moving average is $61.52 and its 200 day moving average is $58.96.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is 254.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Argus raised shares of National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. StockNews.com downgraded National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, November 30th. Bank of America began coverage on National Fuel Gas in a report on Monday, October 28th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 44.2% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,498,205 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $151,416,000 after buying an additional 765,236 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 159.5% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 880,434 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $47,711,000 after acquiring an additional 541,176 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 194.3% in the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 378,588 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $20,516,000 after purchasing an additional 249,967 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 262.5% during the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 318,078 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $17,237,000 after purchasing an additional 230,332 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 2nd quarter valued at $10,741,000. Hedge funds and other 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.