Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. Buys 23,664 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. increased its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 239.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 33,549 shares of the energy company’s stock after acquiring an additional 23,664 shares during the period. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $6,522,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LNG. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 250.0% during the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 140 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. raised its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 47.6% during the third quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 155 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Institutional investors own 87.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LNG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Scotiabank upped their target price on Cheniere Energy from $266.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Cheniere Energy from $282.00 to $271.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Thursday, February 26th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $287.24.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

LNG opened at $284.04 on Tuesday. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $186.20 and a 12-month high of $300.89. The stock has a market cap of $59.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.69 and a beta of 0.14. The business has a 50 day moving average of $244.36 and a 200-day moving average of $222.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $10.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.90 by $6.78. Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 32.04% and a net margin of 26.68%.The company had revenue of $5.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.48 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.33 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 22.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th were given a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.14%.

Cheniere Energy declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the energy company to buy up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,622,720. This trade represents a 25.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $8,700,000.00. Following the transaction, 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

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.