National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Upgraded to "Hold" at StockNews.com

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

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on NFG. Argus upgraded National Fuel Gas to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research report on Monday, October 28th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, National Fuel Gas has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of NFG traded up $1.02 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $63.59. The company had a trading volume of 636,521 shares, compared to its average volume of 495,417. The stock has a market cap of $5.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 78.51 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. National Fuel Gas has a fifty-two week low of $45.32 and a fifty-two week high of $65.06. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $61.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.95.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Justin I. Loweth sold 19,532 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 41,841 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,605,439.07. This trade represents a 31.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Donna L. Decarolis sold 10,000 shares of National Fuel Gas 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 81,519 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,101,459.02. This trade represents a 10.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.55% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the third quarter worth $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the third quarter worth $35,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 38.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 696 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares during the period. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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