Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC Acquires 7,013 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Catalyst Capital Advisors increased its Cheniere Energy stake by 4.4% in the fourth quarter, buying 7,013 more shares and bringing its total holding to 166,728 shares worth about $32.4 million.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG), with a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $293.50, even as several firms recently trimmed or raised their targets.
• The company reported a major earnings miss in its latest quarter, posting EPS of -$16.65 versus expectations of $4.25, though revenue came in above estimates at $5.87 billion; Cheniere also pays a quarterly dividend and has a $10 billion share buyback program underway.

Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 166,728 shares of the energy company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,013 shares during the period. Cheniere Energy comprises approximately 0.7% of Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC owned about 0.08% of Cheniere Energy worth $32,410,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LNG. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 250.0% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 140 shares of the energy company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on LNG shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $271.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 13th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $313.00 to $308.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $296.00 to $322.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cheniere Energy has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $293.50.

Insider Transactions at Cheniere Energy

In related news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total value of $6,473,141.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the company'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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,143,800. The trade was a 24.97% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:LNG opened at $224.42 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $47.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.91 and a beta of 0.07. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $261.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $229.40. 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.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. 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 38.95%. The firm had revenue of $5.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.69 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 15.2 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Cheniere Energy's payout ratio is presently 36.51%.

Cheniere Energy declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the energy company to buy up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

About Cheniere Energy

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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