Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $4.95 EPS

Key Points

• Cheniere Energy reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $7.30, significantly beating analysts' expectations of $2.35 by $4.95, and reported a revenue of $4.64 billion, exceeding the estimated $4.48 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, with a dividend yield of 0.9% and a payout ratio of 14.63%.
• Wall Street analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" on Cheniere Energy's stock, with an average price target of $260.36, supported by recent positive ratings from several firms.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The energy company reported $7.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.35 by $4.95, Zacks reports. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 18.37% and a return on equity of 32.62%. The company had revenue of $4.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.48 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.84 EPS. Cheniere Energy's revenue was up 42.8% on a year-over-year basis.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

NYSE LNG opened at $235.17 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.06. Cheniere Energy has a 1-year low of $175.14 and a 1-year high of $257.65. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $235.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $228.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $52.16 billion, a PE ratio of 17.20 and a beta of 0.43.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 18th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 14.63%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Neal A. Shear sold 4,300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.93, for a total value of $1,057,499.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 29,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,312,236.69. This trade represents a 12.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cheniere Energy

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy stock. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 1,558 shares of the energy company's stock, valued at approximately $335,000. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Scotiabank reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $267.00 target price on Cheniere Energy and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. Wall Street Zen cut Cheniere Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $262.00 price objective (up from $253.00) on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $288.00 price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $260.36.

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.

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