Golden State Equity Partners Cuts Stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Golden State Equity Partners reduced its stake in Cheniere Energy by 69.3% in Q4, selling 6,392 shares and finishing the period with 2,828 shares valued at about $550,000.
• Cheniere reported a strong quarter—EPS of $10.68 versus $3.90 expected and revenue up 22.9% year‑over‑year—and its board approved a $10.00 billion share buyback program (up to 21.1% of shares).
• Analysts are largely positive: MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target of $295.56, while major firms issued mixed target revisions (e.g., Goldman and BMO raised targets; JPMorgan trimmed theirs).

Golden State Equity Partners lessened its stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 69.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,828 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 6,392 shares during the quarter. Golden State Equity Partners' holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $550,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of LNG. Viking Fund Management LLC grew its stake in Cheniere Energy by 66.7% in the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 45,000 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $8,748,000 after purchasing an additional 18,000 shares during the last quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd boosted its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 62.9% in the third quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd now owns 777,200 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $182,626,000 after purchasing an additional 300,100 shares during the last quarter. M&G PLC grew its position in Cheniere Energy by 49.6% during the 3rd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 556,285 shares of the energy company's stock worth $130,727,000 after purchasing an additional 184,520 shares during the period. Waverton Investment Management Ltd raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 35.3% during the 3rd quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd now owns 196,819 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $46,244,000 after buying an additional 51,326 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Trivium Point Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 38.8% in the 4th quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC now owns 56,930 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $11,067,000 after buying an additional 15,927 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on LNG shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Weiss Ratings raised Cheniere Energy from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $338.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Cheniere Energy has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $295.56.

Cheniere Energy Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of Cheniere Energy stock opened at $259.47 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a twelve month low of $186.20 and a twelve month high of $300.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.53 billion, a PE ratio of 10.68 and a beta of 0.14. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $258.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $225.00.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $10.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.90 by $6.78. The business had revenue of $5.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.48 billion. Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 32.04% and a net margin of 26.68%.The business's revenue was up 22.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.33 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 13.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has approved a share buyback plan 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 plans are often an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cheniere Energy

In related news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 87,146 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This represents a 24.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of Cheniere Energy stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,622,720. This trade represents a 25.79% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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