Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Buy”

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Thursday morning.

Several other research firms also recently commented on LNG. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $185.00 to $178.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $192.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $187.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, December 15th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $197.10.

Cheniere Energy Price Performance

LNG stock opened at $161.27 on Thursday. Cheniere Energy has a 52-week low of $135.30 and a 52-week high of $183.46. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $162.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 1.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.94.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The energy company reported $5.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.70 by $3.06. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 48.45% and a return on equity of 69.52%. The business had revenue of $4.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $15.78 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 46.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Cheniere Energy will post 8.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 23rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 6th were issued a dividend of $0.435 per share. This represents a $1.74 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 5th. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.30%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cheniere Energy

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LNG. Bornite Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $13,865,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $2,102,000. Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 7.3% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 5,069 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $703,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 95.0% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 4,244 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $589,000 after purchasing an additional 2,068 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 22.8% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 4,287 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $594,000 after purchasing an additional 797 shares during the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cheniere Energy Company Profile

Cheniere Energy, Inc, an energy infrastructure company, primarily engages in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) related businesses in the United States. It owns and operates the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana; and the Corpus Christi LNG terminal near Corpus Christi, Texas. The company also owns Creole Trail pipeline, a 94-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal with several interstate and intrastate pipelines; and operates Corpus Christi pipeline, a 21.5-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Corpus Christi LNG terminal with various interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines.