Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Sells 125,685 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors cut its Cheniere Energy stake by 5.6% in the first quarter, selling 125,685 shares and leaving it with 2.14 million shares valued at about $606.9 million.
• Cheniere remains heavily owned by institutions, with 87.26% of shares held by hedge funds and other institutional investors; several large firms such as Vanguard, State Street, and Bank of New York Mellon also increased their positions.
• Analyst sentiment is still broadly positive, with a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of $298.47, even after a recent downgrade from Wall Street Zen.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 5.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,138,141 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 125,685 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 1.02% of Cheniere Energy worth $606,889,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,219,557 shares of the energy company's stock worth $4,124,870,000 after buying an additional 414,022 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Cheniere Energy by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,174,695 shares of the energy company's stock worth $1,200,299,000 after buying an additional 167,622 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $731,774,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Cheniere Energy by 12.5% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,279,078 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $443,031,000 after acquiring an additional 253,469 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 174.3% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,244,268 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $636,834,000 after acquiring an additional 1,426,058 shares during the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

LNG opened at $262.94 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55. The company has a market cap of $55.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.25 and a beta of -0.01. The company's 50 day moving average is $241.91 and its 200 day moving average is $239.85. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $186.20 and a 12-month high of $300.89.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were given a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LNG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $271.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Cheniere Energy from $286.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Cheniere Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $298.47.

Cheniere Energy Company Profile

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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