Valley Wealth Managers Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 8.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 325,966 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after purchasing an additional 24,564 shares during the period. National Fuel Gas comprises approximately 1.5% of Valley Wealth Managers Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. owned about 0.36% of National Fuel Gas worth $19,757,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 0.8% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,313,064 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $715,178,000 after acquiring an additional 104,587 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 20.2% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 190,996 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $10,260,000 after buying an additional 32,121 shares in the last quarter. Welch Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the second quarter worth $526,000. Energy Income Partners LLC raised its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 2.4% in the first quarter. Energy Income Partners LLC now owns 2,595,437 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $139,427,000 after buying an additional 62,009 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the second quarter worth $718,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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. The trade was a 17.17 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.55% of the company's stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NFG traded up $0.67 on Friday, hitting $61.11. 374,523 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 522,582. The company has a market capitalization of $5.58 billion, a PE ratio of 75.44 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.32. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $60.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $58.14. National Fuel Gas has a one year low of $45.32 and a one year high of $63.54.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. National Fuel Gas's payout ratio is 254.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com cut National Fuel Gas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, October 19th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered 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 report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Monday, October 28th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $62.00 price objective for the company.

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.