PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Purchases 728 Shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) by 0.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 80,347 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 728 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. owned 0.09% of National Fuel Gas worth $4,875,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in NFG. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of National Fuel Gas by 44.2% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,498,205 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $151,416,000 after purchasing an additional 765,236 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth about $9,067,000. Ibex Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in National Fuel Gas in the fourth quarter worth about $4,943,000. Barclays PLC raised its position in National Fuel Gas by 243.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 102,672 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $6,223,000 after acquiring an additional 72,802 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in National Fuel Gas by 33.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 220,869 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $13,386,000 after acquiring an additional 55,152 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on NFG shares. StockNews.com raised shares of National Fuel Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Argus raised shares of National Fuel Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.00.

National Fuel Gas Stock Performance

NYSE NFG opened at $73.69 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $70.06 and its 200-day moving average is $64.12. National Fuel Gas has a 12-month low of $50.44 and a 12-month high of $76.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a P/E ratio of -526.29 and a beta of 0.57.

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