Alps Advisors Inc. Has $24.80 Million Stock Position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Alps Advisors Inc. increased its Cheniere Energy stake by 27.1% in the fourth quarter, ending with 127,579 shares valued at about $24.8 million.
• Cheniere reported a mixed quarterly result: revenue of $5.87 billion topped estimates, but adjusted earnings missed badly, with EPS of ($16.65) versus the expected $4.25.
• The company continues to return capital to shareholders through a $0.555 quarterly dividend and a $10 billion share repurchase program, while analysts still maintain a consensus Buy rating with a $298.63 price target.

Alps Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 27.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 127,579 shares of the energy company's stock after buying an additional 27,206 shares during the period. Alps Advisors Inc. owned 0.06% of Cheniere Energy worth $24,800,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Trading Down 0.8%

LNG opened at $239.78 on Friday. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a twelve month low of $186.20 and a twelve month high of $300.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55. The company has a fifty day moving average of $251.98 and a 200-day moving average of $231.14. The stock has a market cap of $50.25 billion and a PE ratio of 39.44.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The energy company reported ($16.65) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 38.95% and a net margin of 7.23%.The firm had revenue of $5.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.69 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 14.93 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

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

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the energy company to purchase up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on LNG. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Scotiabank reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $286.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $313.00 to $308.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $298.63.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cheniere Energy

In other news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total transaction of $6,473,141.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at $18,622,720. This represents a 25.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This trade represents a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

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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