Flputnam Investment Management Co. Cuts Stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Flputnam Investment Management Co. lowered its stake in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 12.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 7,002 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 976 shares during the quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $351,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in National Fuel Gas by 119.8% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 567 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 309 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 145.5% during the 1st quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 572 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 339 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 166.4% during the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 690 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 431 shares during the period. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 68.9% in the 4th quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 760 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NFG stock opened at $52.00 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $51.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $50.78. The firm has a market cap of $4.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.90 and a beta of 0.63. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $45.32 and a 1-year high of $56.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.56 and a quick ratio of 0.47.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $525.36 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $664.57 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 21.58% and a return on equity of 14.81%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 20.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.84 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas will post 4.87 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 Monday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 28th were given a $0.495 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $1.98 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.81%. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is 41.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com raised National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 20th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on National Fuel Gas from $67.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th.

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.