National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Rating Lowered to Sell at StockNews.com

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on National Fuel Gas from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Scotiabank lifted their target price 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.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE NFG opened at $63.03 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $59.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $57.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.77. National Fuel Gas has a 52-week low of $45.32 and a 52-week high of $63.04. The company has a market capitalization of $5.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.51 and a beta of 0.62.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at National Fuel Gas

In other National Fuel Gas news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the business’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. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 1.55% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Beacon Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the first quarter worth $28,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 38.6% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 696 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares during the period. Finally, Valley National Advisers Inc. purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the second quarter valued at $37,000. Institutional investors 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.