Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Decreases Holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Canada Pension Plan Investment Board reduced its stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. by 5.9%, now owning about 1,836,545 shares valued at approximately $424 million.
• Cheniere Energy recently posted an impressive earnings report, with EPS of $7.30 beating expectations of $2.35 and revenue growth of 42.8% year-over-year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, representing an annualized yield of 0.8% and showcasing a low dividend payout ratio of 11.68%.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board trimmed its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 5.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,836,545 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 115,733 shares during the quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board owned about 0.82% of Cheniere Energy worth $424,977,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 150.0% during the fourth quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 125 shares of the energy company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the 1st quarter worth $38,000. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Price Performance

NYSE:LNG traded down $1.06 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $240.76. 1,663,170 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,086,649. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52-week low of $175.14 and a 52-week high of $257.65. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $235.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $230.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. The company has a market cap of $52.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.05 and a beta of 0.43.

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

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cheniere Energy

In related news, Director Neal A. Shear sold 4,300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director owned 29,733 shares in the company, valued at $7,312,236.69. This trade represents a 12.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LNG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Bank of America increased their price target on Cheniere Energy from $258.00 to $271.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 25th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $288.00 price target on Cheniere Energy and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Cheniere Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Cheniere Energy from $267.00 to $284.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $263.29.

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.