McLaughlin Asset Management Inc. Takes Position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

McLaughlin Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 3,236 shares of the energy company’s stock, valued at approximately $629,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNG. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 15.2% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 31,190 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $5,850,000 after buying an additional 4,119 shares during the period. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 45.1% in the 4th quarter. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC now owns 17,786 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $3,457,000 after purchasing an additional 5,532 shares in the last quarter. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Vident Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 9.7% in the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 17,451 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $3,392,000 after purchasing an additional 1,536 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FAS Wealth Partners Inc. grew its stake in Cheniere Energy by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 11,607 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $2,256,000 after buying an additional 857 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Cheniere Energy

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

Cheniere Energy Stock Down 1.8%

NYSE:LNG opened at $227.25 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $186.20 and a 12-month high of $300.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.62 billion and a P/E ratio of 37.38. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $247.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $232.10.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The energy company reported ($16.65) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). The business had revenue of $5.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.69 billion. Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 38.95% and a net margin of 7.23%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 14.93 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were given a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $313.00 to $308.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Weiss Ratings cut Cheniere Energy from a “buy (b)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on Cheniere Energy in a research note on Tuesday. They set a “market perform” rating and a $283.00 price target on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cheniere Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $297.71.

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.