Paloma Partners Management Co Makes New $227,000 Investment in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Paloma Partners Management Co purchased a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 4,220 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $227,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the first quarter worth $28,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 119.8% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 567 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC lifted its stake in National Fuel Gas by 166.4% during the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 690 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares in the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 123.0% in the first quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 767 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas in the first quarter valued at $46,000. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at National Fuel Gas

In other National Fuel Gas news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 6,357 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.83, for a total value of $348,554.31. Following the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 9,903 shares in the company, valued at $542,981.49. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.55% of the stock is owned by insiders.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE NFG traded up $0.26 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $58.31. The company had a trading volume of 108,192 shares, compared to its average volume of 545,362. The company has a market capitalization of $5.36 billion, a PE ratio of 11.52 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 0.50. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $45.32 and a 1-year high of $58.60. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $55.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $52.87.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $1.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.38. The business had revenue of $629.94 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $767.33 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 15.06% and a net margin of 23.84%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.54 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 5.11 earnings per share for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 28th were paid a $0.515 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. This is a boost from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.53%. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Scotiabank increased their price objective on National Fuel Gas from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th.

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.