National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Shares Purchased by Holocene Advisors LP

Holocene Advisors LP boosted its stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 28.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 68,964 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,400 shares during the period. Holocene Advisors LP’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $4,180,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 696 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valley National Advisers Inc. acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NFG stock opened at $62.03 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.32. National Fuel Gas has a one year low of $45.32 and a one year high of $65.06. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $61.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $58.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.58 and a beta of 0.63.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.32%. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is 254.32%.

Insider Transactions at National Fuel Gas

In other National Fuel Gas news, insider Justin I. Loweth sold 19,532 shares of the firm’s 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 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total transaction of $103,309.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 8,203 shares in the company, valued at $498,496.31. This represents a 17.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.55% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on NFG. Argus upgraded National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Bank of America began 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. lowered their target price on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. 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 note on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, National Fuel Gas currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.00.

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.