National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Stock Rating Lowered by 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 report released on Saturday.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on NFG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on National Fuel Gas from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. Scotiabank boosted 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 report on Tuesday, August 20th.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

NYSE:NFG traded up $0.61 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $63.03. 442,011 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 528,620. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $45.32 and a 1-year high of $63.04. 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 $5.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.51 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a 50-day moving average of $59.96 and a 200 day moving average of $57.09.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.03. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 16.42% and a return on equity of 14.80%. The business had revenue of $417.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $540.62 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.01 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas will post 5.05 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total value of $103,309.00. Following the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 8,203 shares in the company, valued at $498,496.31. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 0.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,313,064 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $715,178,000 after purchasing an additional 104,587 shares during the last quarter. Energy Income Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 2.4% during the 1st quarter. Energy Income Partners LLC now owns 2,595,437 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $139,427,000 after acquiring an additional 62,009 shares during the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 2,533,482 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $137,289,000 after acquiring an additional 24,800 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 46.5% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,732,969 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $93,910,000 after acquiring an additional 550,153 shares during the period. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 7.9% in the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 1,320,850 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $70,956,000 after acquiring an additional 96,410 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company's stock.

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.