Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG Shares Sold by Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lessened its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 28.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 127,800 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 51,990 shares during the quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $24,843,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNG. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 82.6% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 199 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.26% of the company’s stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of LNG opened at $238.81 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $50.04 billion and a P/E ratio of 39.28. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $186.20 and a 12-month high of $300.89. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $256.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $230.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The energy company reported ($16.65) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). The company had revenue of $5.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.69 billion. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 38.95%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 14.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy’s payout ratio is 36.51%.

Cheniere Energy announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to buyback $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the energy company to repurchase up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on LNG shares. Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Barclays lifted their price target on Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings lowered Cheniere Energy from a “buy (b)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, UBS Group set a $290.00 price target on Cheniere Energy in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $298.63.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total value of $6,473,141.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $8,700,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This trade represents a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Cheniere Energy Profile

Cheniere Energy, Inc is a U.S.-based energy company that develops, owns and operates liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure and markets LNG to global customers. The company’s core activities include natural gas liquefaction, long‑term and short‑term LNG sales and marketing, and the associated midstream services required to move gas from production basins to international markets. Cheniere focuses on converting domestic natural gas into LNG for export, providing a bridge between North American supply and overseas demand.

Cheniere’s principal operating assets are large-scale LNG export terminals located on the U.S.