StockNews.com Downgrades National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) to Sell

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

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Scotiabank raised their price target on National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. Argus upgraded National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, National Fuel Gas has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of NFG opened at $63.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.25. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $45.32 and a 1-year high of $65.06. The stock has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 78.98 and a beta of 0.62. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $61.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $58.71.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 completion of the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 8,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $498,496.31. The trade was a 17.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Fuel Gas

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of NFG. Gabelli Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 2,533,482 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $137,289,000 after buying an additional 24,800 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 44.2% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,498,205 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $151,416,000 after acquiring an additional 765,236 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 0.3% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,274,893 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $69,086,000 after acquiring an additional 3,816 shares during the last quarter. Equity Investment Corp raised its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 1,246,822 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $67,565,000 after purchasing an additional 4,636 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 11.2% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 930,775 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $50,441,000 after purchasing an additional 93,780 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.