Freemont Management S.A. Sells 1,400 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG)

Key Points

• Freemont Management S.A. reduced its stake in Cheniere Energy by 8.8%, resulting in ownership of $3.38 million worth of shares after selling 1,400 shares during the first quarter.
• Cheniere Energy has received mixed analyst ratings, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $260.36, while some firms have set price objectives as high as $267.00.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, representing an annual yield of 0.89%, with a payout ratio of 14.63%.

Freemont Management S.A. lessened its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 8.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 14,600 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 1,400 shares during the period. Freemont Management S.A.'s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $3,378,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. REAP Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 150.0% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 125 shares of the energy company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter worth $38,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Nemes Rush Group LLC grew its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 2,022.2% during the 4th quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 191 shares of the energy company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Up 2.1%

NYSE:LNG traded up $4.88 on Tuesday, hitting $233.36. 1,194,555 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,140,508. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $234.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $229.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.06. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $167.66 and a 52 week high of $257.65. The company has a market cap of $51.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.07 and a beta of 0.42.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.81 by ($1.24). Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 32.62% and a net margin of 18.37%. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.73 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.13 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.63%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on LNG. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $258.00 to $271.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $255.00 to $247.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Cheniere Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $262.00 price target (up previously from $253.00) on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $260.36.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Neal A. Shear sold 4,300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.93, for a total value of $1,057,499.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 29,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,312,236.69. This represents a 12.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Cheniere Energy

Cheniere Energy, Inc, an energy infrastructure company, primarily engages in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) related businesses in the United States. It owns and operates the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana; and the Corpus Christi LNG terminal near Corpus Christi, Texas. The company also owns Creole Trail pipeline, a 94-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal with several interstate and intrastate pipelines; and operates Corpus Christi pipeline, a 21.5-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Corpus Christi LNG terminal with various interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines.