National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Cut to "Sell" at StockNews.com

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued on Monday.

NFG has been the subject of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of 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. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Monday, October 28th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $62.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. 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 given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Stock Down 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE NFG traded down $1.42 during trading on Monday, reaching $68.10. The company had a trading volume of 737,494 shares, compared to its average volume of 606,731. National Fuel Gas has a 12-month low of $45.32 and a 12-month high of $70.12. 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 business's 50-day moving average is $62.97 and its 200 day moving average is $60.90. The stock has a market cap of $6.19 billion, a PE ratio of 84.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.64.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Donna L. Decarolis sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.58, for a total transaction of $625,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 81,519 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,101,459.02. This represents a 10.93 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Justin I. Loweth sold 19,532 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.27, for a total transaction of $1,216,257.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 41,841 shares in the company, valued at $2,605,439.07. The trade was a 31.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of National Fuel Gas

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NFG. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 82.9% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 481 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, S.A. Mason LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.96% of the company's stock.

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.

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