IFM Investors Pty Ltd Sells 12,153 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• IFM Investors Pty Ltd sold 17.9% of its shares in Cheniere Energy, decreasing its holdings to 55,874 shares valued at approximately $12.93 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• Cheniere Energy reported impressive earnings for the quarter, with an EPS of $7.30, significantly outperforming analysts' expectations of $2.35, and a revenue increase of 42.8% year-over-year.
• A strong consensus from analysts with an average price target of $263.29 recommends a "Buy" rating for Cheniere Energy’s stock.

IFM Investors Pty Ltd reduced its stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 17.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 55,874 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 12,153 shares during the quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd's holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $12,929,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 27.6% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,304,253 shares of the energy company's stock worth $301,804,000 after acquiring an additional 282,050 shares in the last quarter. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the first quarter worth approximately $529,000. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 7.6% during the first quarter. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP now owns 1,494,901 shares of the energy company's stock worth $345,920,000 after acquiring an additional 105,875 shares in the last quarter. Fractal Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 27.7% during the first quarter. Fractal Investments LLC now owns 75,585 shares of the energy company's stock worth $17,490,000 after acquiring an additional 16,385 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 7.5% during the first quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 23,505 shares of the energy company's stock worth $5,439,000 after acquiring an additional 1,630 shares in the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $268.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 29th. Scotiabank reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $267.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $258.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. One equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $263.29.

Cheniere Energy Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE LNG traded down $1.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $235.93. The stock had a trading volume of 1,095,835 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,514,050. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.98. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 1 year low of $177.55 and a 1 year high of $257.65. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $235.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $231.25. The firm has a market cap of $51.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.77 and a beta of 0.43.

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

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 18th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Cheniere Energy's payout ratio is 11.68%.

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.