278,612 Shares in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Bought by Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 278,612 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock, valued at approximately $16,906,000. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.31% of National Fuel Gas at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its stake 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 buying an additional 859 shares during the period. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter valued at $238,000. Zacks Investment Management purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the third quarter valued at about $957,000. Vestcor Inc purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the third quarter valued at about $716,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in National Fuel Gas by 76.1% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 31,790 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $1,927,000 after purchasing an additional 13,739 shares during the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NFG has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. StockNews.com raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $74.67.

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National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

NFG traded up $0.16 on Wednesday, hitting $79.96. The company had a trading volume of 542,033 shares, compared to its average volume of 533,269. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $51.46 and a 1-year high of $80.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The company's fifty day moving average price is $73.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.98. The stock has a market cap of $7.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -571.10 and a beta of 0.57.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.58%. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio is presently -1,471.43%.

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.