UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC Purchases 504,960 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• UBS Asset Management increased its holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. by 33.1%, owning 2,031,767 shares, valued at approximately $470 million.
• Cheniere Energy recently reported earnings of $7.30 EPS for the quarter, significantly exceeding analyst expectations of $2.35, with revenue growth of 42.8% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, resulting in an annualized yield of 0.9% and a payout ratio of 11.68%.

UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 33.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 2,031,767 shares of the energy company's stock after buying an additional 504,960 shares during the quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned 0.92% of Cheniere Energy worth $470,151,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNG. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $335,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $273,000. NDVR Inc. raised its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. NDVR Inc. now owns 1,188 shares of the energy company's stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Meketa Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $494,000. Finally, Obermeyer Wealth Partners acquired a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $218,000. 87.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cheniere Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LNG traded down $1.14 on Friday, hitting $235.93. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,095,835 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,514,050. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $235.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $231.25. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 1 year low of $177.55 and a 1 year high of $257.65. The company has a market capitalization of $51.85 billion, a PE ratio of 13.77 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The energy company reported $7.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 quarter last year, the firm posted $3.84 EPS. The company's revenue was up 42.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio is 11.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on LNG. TD Cowen upped their target price on Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Mizuho upped their price target on Cheniere Energy from $268.00 to $273.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 29th. Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $262.00 price target (up previously from $253.00) on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $258.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average 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.