Avantax Advisory Services Inc. Sells 1,331 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lessened its position in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 9.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,268 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 1,331 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $744,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth about $9,067,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,584,155 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $156,807,000 after buying an additional 85,950 shares during the last quarter. Ibex Wealth Advisors acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth about $4,943,000. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 243.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 102,672 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $6,223,000 after buying an additional 72,802 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 33.3% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 220,869 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $13,386,000 after buying an additional 55,152 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on NFG shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, National Fuel Gas has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $74.67.

National Fuel Gas Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $78.97 on Friday. National Fuel Gas has a 52-week low of $51.46 and a 52-week high of $79.12. The company has a market capitalization of $7.15 billion, a P/E ratio of -564.00 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $71.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $64.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.39.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.22. National Fuel Gas had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 15.96%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.515 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.61%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently -1,471.43%.

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.