Kwmg LLC Buys 4,046 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Kwmg LLC lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 4.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 96,130 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,046 shares during the period. Kwmg LLC owned approximately 0.10% of National Fuel Gas worth $5,164,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in National Fuel Gas by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 22,089 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $1,151,000 after purchasing an additional 958 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 437.8% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,750 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $4,296,000 after acquiring an additional 67,362 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 45.9% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 334,120 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $17,344,000 after acquiring an additional 105,074 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 3,666.2% during the 3rd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 166,729 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $8,648,000 after acquiring an additional 162,302 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 144.9% during the 3rd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 45,560 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $2,362,000 after acquiring an additional 26,957 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

Shares of NFG stock traded down $0.55 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $54.53. The stock had a trading volume of 149,445 shares, compared to its average volume of 543,010. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $55.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $51.95. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. National Fuel Gas has a 12 month low of $45.32 and a 12 month high of $57.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.01 billion, a PE ratio of 10.82 and a beta of 0.62.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.38. The business had revenue of $629.94 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $767.33 million. National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 23.84% and a return on equity of 15.06%. National Fuel Gas’s quarterly revenue was down 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.54 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 5.07 EPS for the current year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 28th will be paid a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.78%. This is an increase from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 28th. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is presently 39.29%.

Insider Activity

In other National Fuel Gas news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 6,357 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 9,903 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,981.49. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.55% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 20th. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 9th.

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.