BNP Paribas Financial Markets Lowers Stock Holdings in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets lowered its holdings in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Free Report) by 30.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 18,697 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 7,997 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets' holdings in Golar LNG were worth $791,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Golar LNG by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,093,098 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $46,260,000 after buying an additional 18,475 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 56.3% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 887,842 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $37,573,000 after acquiring an additional 319,677 shares in the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp boosted its holdings in Golar LNG by 17.8% in the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 753,582 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $31,892,000 after purchasing an additional 113,769 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in Golar LNG by 11.2% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 747,675 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $31,642,000 after purchasing an additional 75,367 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Discovery Capital Management LLC CT acquired a new position in Golar LNG during the 4th quarter worth $17,719,000. 92.21% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Golar LNG Trading Up 3.7%

NASDAQ:GLNG traded up $1.38 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $39.11. 4,028,390 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,460,449. Golar LNG Limited has a fifty-two week low of $25.33 and a fifty-two week high of $44.36. The company has a market capitalization of $4.09 billion, a PE ratio of 279.38 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $38.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $39.07.

Golar LNG Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 11th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.56%. Golar LNG's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 208.33%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GLNG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised Golar LNG to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Fearnley Fonds upgraded shares of Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. DNB Markets upgraded shares of Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Dnb Nor Markets upgraded shares of Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $49.70.

About Golar LNG

Golar LNG Limited designs, converts, owns, and operates marine infrastructure for the liquefaction of natural gas. The company operates through three segments: FLNG, Corporate and Other, and Shipping. It engages in the regasification, storage, and offloading of liquefied natural gas (LNG); operation of floating liquefaction natural gas (FLNG) vessels or projects; transportation of LNG carriers; and vessel management activities.