Bleakley Financial Group LLC Acquires 5,201 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Bleakley Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 9.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 60,026 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,201 shares during the period. Bleakley Financial Group LLC’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $3,225,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 119.8% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 567 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 166.4% during the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 690 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares in the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 123.0% during the first quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 767 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LifeSteps Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the first quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 1.2 %

NFG traded up $0.70 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $57.87. The stock had a trading volume of 667,226 shares, compared to its average volume of 545,333. The company has a market capitalization of $5.32 billion, a PE ratio of 11.35 and a beta of 0.62. National Fuel Gas has a twelve month low of $45.32 and a twelve month high of $58.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.58. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $55.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $52.42.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $1.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.38. The business had revenue of $629.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $767.33 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 23.84% and a return on equity of 15.06%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.54 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 5.18 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 28th were issued a $0.515 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.56%. This is a boost from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other National Fuel Gas news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 6,357 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.83, for a total value of $348,554.31. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 9,903 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $542,981.49. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 1.55% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on NFG. StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 20th. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th.

National Fuel Gas Company 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.