Pinebridge Investments L.P. Purchases 40,320 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Pinebridge Investments L.P. raised its stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 179.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 62,823 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after acquiring an additional 40,320 shares during the period. Pinebridge Investments L.P. owned approximately 0.07% of National Fuel Gas worth $3,812,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Barclays PLC grew its stake in National Fuel Gas by 243.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 102,672 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $6,223,000 after buying an additional 72,802 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,052,000. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 176.2% during the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 21,046 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $1,276,000 after acquiring an additional 13,425 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 33.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 220,869 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $13,386,000 after acquiring an additional 55,152 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in National Fuel Gas by 42.7% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 993 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

National Fuel Gas stock traded down $0.71 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $77.64. The company had a trading volume of 532,137 shares, compared to its average volume of 550,897. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $76.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.34. The company has a market cap of $7.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -554.53 and a beta of 0.61. National Fuel Gas has a fifty-two week low of $52.66 and a fifty-two week high of $80.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were issued 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 (DPR) is presently -1,471.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 13th. StockNews.com upgraded National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, National Fuel Gas presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.67.

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.