Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. Buys New Shares in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Eurizon Capital SGR disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Cheniere Energy, buying 108,220 shares valued at about $21.0 million. Institutional investors now hold 87.26% of the stock.
• Cheniere reported a weak latest quarter, with EPS of -$16.65 versus analysts’ expectations of $4.25, even though revenue of $5.87 billion topped estimates. The company also said quarterly revenue rose 7.8% year over year.
• The company’s board authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program and it paid a quarterly dividend of $0.555 per share, equal to a 1.0% annualized yield. Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $293.50.

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 108,220 shares of the energy company's stock, valued at approximately $21,026,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. owned approximately 0.05% of Cheniere Energy at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in LNG. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Cheniere Energy in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc bought a new position in Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its stake in Cheniere Energy by 250.0% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 140 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the third quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Cheniere Energy

In other news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $8,700,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This trade represents a 24.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of Cheniere Energy stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 64,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,622,720. This trade represents a 25.79% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

NYSE LNG opened at $224.42 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $261.11 and a 200-day moving average of $229.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.57. The stock has a market cap of $47.03 billion, a PE ratio of 36.91 and a beta of 0.07. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52-week low of $186.20 and a 52-week high of $300.89.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The energy company reported ($16.65) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.25 by ($20.90). The company had revenue of $5.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.69 billion. Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 38.95% and a net margin of 7.23%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 15.2 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the energy company to buy up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a dividend of $0.555 per share. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on LNG shares. Scotiabank reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. UBS Group set a $290.00 price target on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $313.00 to $308.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $296.00 to $322.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Cheniere Energy currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $293.50.

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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