Cozad Asset Management Inc. Buys 4,544 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

Cozad Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 17.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 31,233 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after buying an additional 4,544 shares during the quarter. Cozad Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $1,893,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFG. Foster & Motley Inc. raised its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 65.5% during the third quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 30,380 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,841,000 after acquiring an additional 12,019 shares in the last quarter. Radnor Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter worth $1,341,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in National Fuel Gas by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,895 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $539,000 after purchasing an additional 894 shares in the last quarter. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of National Fuel Gas during the 3rd quarter worth $50,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE increased its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 2.5% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 25,630 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,553,000 after buying an additional 631 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas Stock Down 5.6 %

Shares of National Fuel Gas stock opened at $58.91 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The company has a market cap of $5.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.08 and a beta of 0.62. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $60.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $57.87. National Fuel Gas has a 52-week low of $45.32 and a 52-week high of $63.54.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.83 by ($0.06). National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 16.42% and a return on equity of 14.80%. The business had revenue of $372.07 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $482.49 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that National Fuel Gas will post 5.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were paid a dividend of $0.515 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.50%. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is currently 59.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NFG has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of National Fuel Gas from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of National Fuel Gas from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. StockNews.com lowered National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, October 19th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on National Fuel Gas in a research report on Monday, October 28th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock.

Insider Transactions at National Fuel Gas

In related news, General Counsel Michael W. Reville sold 1,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.77, for a total value of $103,309.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 8,203 shares in the company, valued at $498,496.31. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.55% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas 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.