SBI Securities Co. Ltd. Buys New Position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 852 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $52,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the third quarter worth $28,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake 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 valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, S.A. Mason LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on NFG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on National Fuel Gas from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Argus upgraded National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, StockNews.com raised National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 0.3 %

NFG stock opened at $74.39 on Tuesday. National Fuel Gas has a 1-year low of $50.44 and a 1-year high of $76.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -531.30 and a beta of 0.57. The company’s 50 day moving average is $69.53 and its 200 day moving average is $63.94.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.22. National Fuel Gas had a positive return on equity of 15.96% and a negative net margin of 0.53%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.