Ethic Inc. Purchases 18,024 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. increased its Cheniere Energy stake by 295.2% in the third quarter, adding 18,024 shares to hold 24,129 shares valued at about $6.49 million.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: 18 analysts rate the stock Buy or Strong Buy, with an average price target of $324.41.
• Cheniere raised its quarterly dividend to $0.625 per share, equivalent to $2.50 annually and a 0.9% yield.

Ethic Inc. raised its position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 295.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,129 shares of the energy company's stock after acquiring an additional 18,024 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $6,491,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Childress Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Cheniere Energy by 0.7% during the third quarter. Childress Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,371 shares of the energy company's stock worth $1,445,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. boosted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 13.3% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 340 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $92,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Strategies LLC increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 4.0% in the third quarter. Eagle Strategies LLC now owns 1,083 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $291,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Titleist Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 1.6% in the third quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 2,867 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $771,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 54.5% in the first quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 136 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on LNG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $300.00 to $319.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Cheniere Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $283.00 price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Cheniere Energy from $334.00 to $344.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, Argus set a $330.00 target price on Cheniere Energy in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $324.41.

Cheniere Energy Trading Up 2.6%

Shares of Cheniere Energy stock opened at $285.24 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $283.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $258.41. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $186.20 and a 12-month high of $330.73.

Cheniere Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 9th will be paid a $0.6250 dividend. This represents a $2.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. This is an increase from Cheniere Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.5550. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 9th. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 15.49%.

Cheniere Energy Company Profile

Cheniere Energy, Inc is a U.S. energy company focused on producing and exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its operations include the Sabine Pass LNG facility in Louisiana and the Corpus Christi LNG facility in Texas, where natural gas is processed and liquefied for shipment.

The company supplies LNG to customers in international markets, including countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Its activities also include sourcing natural gas and marketing LNG under long-term and other sales agreements.

Founded in 1996, Cheniere initially developed LNG import infrastructure before shifting its focus to U.S.

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