Baird Financial Group Inc. Sells 22,849 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Baird Financial Group Inc. lowered its stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 24.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 70,033 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after selling 22,849 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. owned 0.08% of National Fuel Gas worth $4,250,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kentucky Trust Co bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new position in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. S.A. Mason LLC bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd grew its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 223.2% in the fourth quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 656 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 453 shares in the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

National Fuel Gas Trading Down 0.9%

National Fuel Gas stock traded down $0.70 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $79.71. The stock had a trading volume of 555,826 shares, compared to its average volume of 561,072. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $7.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -569.32 and a beta of 0.61. National Fuel Gas has a one year low of $53.03 and a one year high of $83.35. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $77.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.64.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.18 by $0.21. National Fuel Gas had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 15.96%. The firm had revenue of $729.95 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $770.81 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.79 EPS. The company's revenue was up 15.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.58%. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 479.07%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NFG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 13th. StockNews.com upgraded National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $74.67.

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.