Ethic Inc. Sells 6,805 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. cut its stake in Cheniere Energy by 27.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 6,805 shares and leaving it with 18,237 shares valued at about $3.55 million.
• Cheniere reported a major earnings miss for the quarter, posting EPS of -$16.65 versus expectations of $4.25, even though revenue of $5.87 billion came in slightly above estimates.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.555 per share and a massive $10 billion share buyback program, while analysts remain broadly positive with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a $296.50 target price.

Ethic Inc. decreased its position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 27.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 18,237 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 6,805 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $3,545,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 688 shares of the energy company's stock worth $162,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,488 shares of the energy company's stock worth $350,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC now owns 875 shares of the energy company's stock worth $206,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC lifted its position in Cheniere Energy by 2.3% during the third quarter. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC now owns 2,275 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $535,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hardy Reed LLC lifted its position in Cheniere Energy by 2.3% during the third quarter. Hardy Reed LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $536,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of LNG opened at $240.56 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $50.55 billion, a PE ratio of 39.57 and a beta of 0.07. The business has a fifty day moving average of $264.30 and a 200 day moving average of $226.99. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52-week low of $186.20 and a 52-week high of $300.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The energy company reported ($16.65) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). The firm had revenue of $5.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.69 billion. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 36.34%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 13.97 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.555 per share. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.51%.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on LNG shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Cheniere Energy from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $305.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $271.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $286.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $296.50.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the firm'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 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the firm'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 directly owned 87,146 shares of the company's stock, valued at $26,143,800. This represents a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

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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