National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Holdings Reduced by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lessened its stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 74.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,454 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after selling 39,644 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC's holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $815,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Heritage Oak Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the third quarter worth about $258,000. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 17.9% during the third quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 4,849 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $294,000 after purchasing an additional 737 shares in the last quarter. Spirit of America Management Corp NY raised its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 82.4% during the third quarter. Spirit of America Management Corp NY now owns 1,550 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Keene & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas during the third quarter worth about $379,000. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas during the third quarter worth about $264,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at National Fuel Gas

In related news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total transaction of $103,309.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel now owns 8,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at $498,496.31. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.55% of the company's stock.

National Fuel Gas Trading Down 5.6 %

Shares of NFG stock traded down $3.47 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $58.91. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,224,932 shares, compared to its average volume of 523,145. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $60.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $57.86. National Fuel Gas has a 12-month low of $45.32 and a 12-month high of $63.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.38 billion, a PE ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 0.62.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.83 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $372.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $482.49 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 16.42% and a return on equity of 14.80%. On average, research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 5.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were paid a $0.515 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.50%. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on NFG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. StockNews.com cut shares of National Fuel Gas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, October 19th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $62.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th.

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.