Northern Trust Corp Buys 279,857 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Free Report) by 37.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,019,072 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after acquiring an additional 279,857 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned approximately 1.13% of National Fuel Gas worth $61,837,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Kentucky Trust Co bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. S.A. Mason LLC acquired a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd boosted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 453 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

NFG traded down $0.88 during trading on Monday, reaching $81.14. 85,203 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 558,304. The company has a market capitalization of $7.33 billion, a P/E ratio of -580.53 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 business has a 50 day moving average price of $77.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.51. National Fuel Gas has a fifty-two week low of $53.03 and a fifty-two week high of $84.55.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The firm had revenue of $729.95 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 company's quarterly 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, analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a $0.515 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.54%. National Fuel Gas's dividend payout ratio is presently 479.07%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on NFG. StockNews.com upgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target 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.