10,251 Shares in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) Acquired by Graham Capital Management L.P.

Graham Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 10,251 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock, valued at approximately $622,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Kentucky Trust Co bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in 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 period. Quarry LP bought a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. S.A. Mason LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 453 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company's stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

National Fuel Gas stock traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $81.42. The company's stock had a trading volume of 48,029 shares, compared to its average volume of 675,646. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The company has a market cap of $7.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -581.82 and a beta of 0.61. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $53.03 and a 1-year high of $83.35. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $78.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $70.33.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.18 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $729.95 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $770.81 million. National Fuel Gas had a negative net margin of 0.53% and a positive return on equity of 15.96%. National Fuel Gas's revenue was up 15.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.79 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 479.07%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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 raised National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. One 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, National Fuel Gas presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.67.

National Fuel Gas 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.