Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board Decreases Stock Position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board trimmed its holdings in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 63.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 41,939 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after selling 71,683 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board's holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $2,542,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of 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. Welch Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 2nd quarter worth $526,000. Energy Income Partners LLC boosted its position 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. Evergreen Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the second quarter valued at about $718,000. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 18.1% in the first quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 62,860 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $3,377,000 after purchasing an additional 9,615 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NFG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Bank of America began coverage on National Fuel Gas in a research report on Monday, October 28th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $62.00 price objective for the company. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of National Fuel Gas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, October 19th.

Insider Transactions at National Fuel Gas

In other National Fuel Gas news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was 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 directly owns 8,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $498,496.31. This trade represents a 17.17 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.55% of the company's stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

Shares of National Fuel Gas stock traded down $0.33 on Wednesday, hitting $61.67. The stock had a trading volume of 468,992 shares, compared to its average volume of 521,136. The stock has a market cap of $5.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.56 and a beta of 0.62. 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 52-week low of $45.32 and a 52-week high of $63.54. The company's 50 day moving average price is $60.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $58.32.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. 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 3.34%. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 254.32%.

National Fuel Gas 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.