Natixis Invests $1.04 Million in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Natixis purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 17,182 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock, valued at approximately $1,043,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,584,155 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $156,807,000 after purchasing an additional 85,950 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in National Fuel Gas by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,199,787 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $146,502,000 after buying an additional 117,351 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 1,447,665 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $87,844,000 after acquiring an additional 70,332 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter valued at $67,393,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 989,487 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $60,043,000 after acquiring an additional 43,656 shares in the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NFG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, National Fuel Gas has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $74.67.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NFG traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $77.88. The company's stock had a trading volume of 374,741 shares, compared to its average volume of 550,187. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. National Fuel Gas has a one year low of $52.66 and a one year high of $80.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -556.25 and a beta of 0.61. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $76.19 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $68.16.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.22. National Fuel Gas had a positive return on equity of 15.96% and a negative net margin of 0.53%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.515 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.65%. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio is currently -1,471.43%.

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.