Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Cheniere Energy currently carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus from 19 brokerages, with 16 buy ratings and an average 12-month price target of $296.50.
• The company recently reported Q1 earnings of -$16.65 per share, missing analyst expectations, though revenue of $5.87 billion still came in above estimates and rose 7.8% year over year.
• Cheniere also announced a $10 billion share buyback program and a quarterly dividend of $0.555 per share, signaling management’s confidence in the stock and continued shareholder returns.

Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $296.50.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Cheniere Energy from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Cheniere Energy from $296.00 to $322.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Cheniere Energy from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays lifted their price target on Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd.

Cheniere Energy Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:LNG opened at $240.56 on Tuesday. Cheniere Energy has a 52 week low of $186.20 and a 52 week high of $300.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.94. The company's fifty day moving average is $264.30 and its 200-day moving average is $226.99. The company has a market capitalization of $50.55 billion, a PE ratio of 39.57 and a beta of 0.07.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The energy company reported ($16.65) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 36.34%. The firm had revenue of $5.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.69 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.57 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Cheniere Energy will post 13.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy declared that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the energy company to purchase up to 21.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be issued a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy's payout ratio is currently 36.51%.

Insider Transactions at Cheniere Energy

In other Cheniere Energy news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The stock was 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 directly owned 87,146 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,143,800. The trade was a 24.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 value of $6,473,141.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,622,720. This 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.

Institutional Trading of Cheniere Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mathes Company Inc. bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $227,000. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $711,000. DJE Kapital AG raised its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 2,215.5% during the 1st quarter. DJE Kapital AG now owns 67,381 shares of the energy company's stock worth $19,778,000 after purchasing an additional 64,471 shares during the last quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, Rice Partnership LLC bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $2,209,000. 87.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Cheniere Energy Company 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.

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