Freemont Management S.A. Boosts Stock Holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Freemont Management S.A. increased its Cheniere Energy stake by 200% in the fourth quarter, ending with 6,600 shares valued at about $1.28 million.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish on LNG, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $293.50 despite some target adjustments.
• Cheniere reported a quarterly EPS miss of $16.65 versus $4.25 expected, while revenue came in above estimates at $5.87 billion; the company also announced a quarterly dividend and a $10 billion share buyback program.

Freemont Management S.A. raised its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 200.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,600 shares of the energy company's stock after buying an additional 4,400 shares during the period. Freemont Management S.A.'s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $1,283,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its position in Cheniere Energy by 250.0% during the third 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 period. Accordant Advisory Group Inc purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the third quarter valued at about $38,000. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LNG has been the subject of several analyst reports. UBS Group set a $290.00 price target on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday. Bank of America upped their price objective 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. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $271.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $293.50.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LNG opened at $239.45 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $50.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.38 and a beta of 0.07. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $264.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $227.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $186.20 and a 12 month high of $300.89.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The energy company reported ($16.65) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 38.95%. The firm had revenue of $5.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.69 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 15.29 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Cheniere Energy announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding 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 typically an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Cheniere Energy

In related news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $8,700,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.55% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LNG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.