StockNews.com Upgrades National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) to Hold

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

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Argus upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Bank of America assumed coverage on National Fuel Gas in a report on Monday, October 28th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price objective on National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, National Fuel Gas has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of National Fuel Gas stock traded down $0.52 on Monday, hitting $60.85. The stock had a trading volume of 434,670 shares, compared to its average volume of 516,953. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $61.59 and a 200 day moving average of $59.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.32. National Fuel Gas has a twelve month low of $45.32 and a twelve month high of $65.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.12 and a beta of 0.63.

Insider Activity at National Fuel Gas

In other National Fuel Gas news, insider Justin I. Loweth sold 19,532 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.27, for a total value of $1,216,257.64. Following the completion of the sale, 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total value of $103,309.00. Following the sale, the general counsel now owns 8,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $498,496.31. This represents a 17.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 31,232 shares of company stock worth $1,945,367 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.55% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of National Fuel Gas

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NFG. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 44.2% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,498,205 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $151,416,000 after buying an additional 765,236 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 159.5% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 880,434 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $47,711,000 after purchasing an additional 541,176 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 194.3% during the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 378,588 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $20,516,000 after purchasing an additional 249,967 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 262.5% during the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 318,078 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $17,237,000 after purchasing an additional 230,332 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the second quarter worth approximately $10,741,000. 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.

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