Two Sigma Investments LP Purchases 99,412 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 90.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 209,594 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after purchasing an additional 99,412 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP owned approximately 0.23% of National Fuel Gas worth $12,718,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 82.9% in the fourth 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 during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. S.A. Mason LLC purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lifted its stake in 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 worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 453 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NFG has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped 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. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $77.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $82.33.

National Fuel Gas Stock Down 0.9%

NYSE:NFG traded down $0.71 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $81.25. The company's stock had a trading volume of 51,318 shares, compared to its average volume of 558,014. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.34 billion, a PE ratio of -580.21 and a beta of 0.61. 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 fifty day moving average of $78.90 and a 200-day moving average of $71.24. National Fuel Gas has a 1 year low of $53.03 and a 1 year high of $83.68.

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

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a $0.515 dividend. 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 2.54%. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio is presently 479.07%.

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.