Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG Shares Purchased by Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Ltd

Key Points

• Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Ltd raised its stake in Cheniere by 21.4% in Q4, purchasing 15,000 shares to hold 85,000 shares worth $16.55 million, and institutional investors now own about 87.26% of the stock.
• Multiple analysts have lifted price targets (Citigroup to $330, UBS to $340, BofA to $322), leaving a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $292.82.
• Cheniere reported a large EPS beat for the quarter ($10.68 vs. $3.90), declared a quarterly dividend of $0.555, and authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program (up to ~21.1% of shares outstanding).

Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Ltd raised its position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 21.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 85,000 shares of the energy company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,000 shares during the period. Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Ltd's holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $16,553,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of LNG. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. grew its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 250.0% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 140 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. grew its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 47.6% in the third quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 155 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup upped their target price on Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. UBS Group upped their target price on Cheniere Energy from $305.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Bank of America upped their target price on Cheniere Energy from $296.00 to $322.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $338.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Cheniere Energy from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $292.82.

Cheniere Energy Price Performance

NYSE:LNG opened at $256.88 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $53.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.57 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The company's 50-day moving average is $252.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $223.75. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $186.20 and a 12-month high of $300.89.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $10.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.90 by $6.78. The company had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.48 billion. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 26.68% and a return on equity of 32.04%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 22.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.33 EPS. Research analysts expect that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were paid a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.14%.

Cheniere Energy declared that its board has approved a share repurchase 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 repurchase up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Cheniere Energy

In other Cheniere Energy news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total value of $6,473,141.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,622,720. This trade represents a 25.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $8,700,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 87,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,143,800. The trade was a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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