Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. Sells 25,017 Shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG)

Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. trimmed its position in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 15.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 134,736 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after selling 25,017 shares during the period. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. owned approximately 0.15% of National Fuel Gas worth $10,670,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of NFG. Cranbrook Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 223.2% during the fourth quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 656 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 453 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IAG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on NFG. Bank of America lifted their target price on National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Wall Street Zen raised National Fuel Gas from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $82.33.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE NFG opened at $85.42 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $80.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $73.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.47. National Fuel Gas Company has a 52-week low of $53.88 and a 52-week high of $85.80. The stock has a market cap of $7.72 billion, a PE ratio of 198.66, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.62.

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 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.21. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 18.55%. The firm had revenue of $729.95 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $770.81 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.79 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 15.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that National Fuel Gas Company will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a $0.535 dividend. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.51%. This is a boost from National Fuel Gas's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. National Fuel Gas's payout ratio is currently 479.07%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.