Consolidated Investment Group LLC Grows Stock Position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Consolidated Investment Group LLC raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 58.4% in Q4 to 12,200 shares, worth about $2.37 million.
• Cheniere approved a $10 billion share buyback (up to 21.1% of shares), reported a strong quarter with EPS of $10.68 vs. a $3.90 estimate, and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.555 (≈0.9% yield).
• Significant insider selling occurred: EVP Sean Markowitz sold 22,246 shares at about $290.98 and CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares at $300, each trimming their holdings by roughly 25%.

Consolidated Investment Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 58.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,200 shares of the energy company's stock after buying an additional 4,500 shares during the period. Consolidated Investment Group LLC's holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $2,372,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of LNG. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 250.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 140 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 47.6% during the 3rd quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 155 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Cheniere Energy

In other Cheniere Energy news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total transaction of $6,473,141.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their position. The transaction 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 business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This trade represents 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 insiders.

Cheniere Energy Price Performance

NYSE:LNG opened at $256.88 on Thursday. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $186.20 and a 52 week high of $300.89. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $252.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $223.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.98 billion, a PE ratio of 10.57 and a beta of 0.14.

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

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the energy company to repurchase up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were paid a dividend of $0.555 per share. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. Cheniere Energy's payout ratio is 9.14%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Wolfe Research set a $220.00 target price on Cheniere Energy and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Citigroup raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cheniere Energy presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $292.82.

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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