Benjamin Edwards Inc. Takes Position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. has acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy, purchasing 1,558 shares valued at approximately $361,000.
• Cheniere Energy reported $7.30 earnings per share for the last quarter, significantly exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.35.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, with a dividend payout ratio of 11.68% and a yield of 0.9%.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,558 shares of the energy company's stock, valued at approximately $361,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNG. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 150.0% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 125 shares of the energy company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new position in Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC grew its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 676.0% during the 1st quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 194 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Neal A. Shear sold 4,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $7,312,236.69. The trade was a 12.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

LNG stock traded up $0.4090 on Tuesday, reaching $230.3490. 1,326,198 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,110,223. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $175.14 and a 12 month high of $257.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $234.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $228.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.62 billion, a PE ratio of 13.45 and a beta of 0.43.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The energy company reported $7.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.35 by $4.95. The company had revenue of $4.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.48 billion. Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 37.83% and a net margin of 21.05%.The business's revenue was up 42.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.84 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. Cheniere Energy's payout ratio is presently 11.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on LNG. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Friday, August 8th. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $262.00 price target (up from $253.00) on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Scotiabank reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $261.93.

About Cheniere Energy

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.