National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Reaches New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $65.18 and last traded at $65.00, with a volume of 290683 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $63.67.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NFG has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective 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. Argus upgraded National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Monday, October 28th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 price objective for the company. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 2.3 %

The firm has a market cap of $6.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 83.82 and a beta of 0.64. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $61.69 and a 200-day moving average of $60.07. 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 Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.515 per share. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 254.32%.

Insider Transactions at National Fuel Gas

In other news, insider Justin I. Loweth sold 19,532 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.27, for a total transaction of $1,216,257.64. Following the transaction, the insider now directly 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Donna L. Decarolis sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.58, for a total transaction of $625,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 81,519 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,101,459.02. The trade was a 10.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of National Fuel Gas

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 82.9% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 481 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 696 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.