National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Shares Sold by Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd.

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lowered its stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 33.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,129 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 2,573 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd.’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $311,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of NFG. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 82.9% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 481 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 49.5% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 722 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas during the third quarter worth about $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of National Fuel Gas stock opened at $78.18 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $72.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.03. National Fuel Gas has a twelve month low of $51.46 and a twelve month high of $79.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.08 billion, a P/E ratio of -558.41 and a beta of 0.57.

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

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.63%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently -1,471.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on NFG. StockNews.com upgraded National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.67.

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.