J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Purchases 10,774 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG increased its position in Cheniere by 227.7%, buying 10,774 shares to hold 15,505 shares worth about $3.01 million at quarter end.
• Cheniere's Board approved a $10.0 billion share buyback (up to ~21.1% of outstanding shares) and the company reported quarterly EPS of $10.68 (vs. $3.90 est.) on $5.45 billion revenue, up 22.9% year‑over‑year.
• Analyst sentiment has turned more constructive—multiple firms raised price targets (e.g., Morgan Stanley, UBS, Goldman) and MarketBeat shows a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $282 while the stock trades near $282.78.

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG increased its position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 227.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 15,505 shares of the energy company's stock after buying an additional 10,774 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG's holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $3,014,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of LNG. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 250.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 140 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 47.6% in the 3rd quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 155 shares of the energy company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Cheniere Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Trading Down 3.7%

Shares of LNG stock opened at $282.78 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $59.44 billion, a PE ratio of 11.64 and a beta of 0.25. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 1 year low of $186.20 and a 1 year high of $300.89. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $238.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $220.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $10.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.90 by $6.78. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 26.68% and a return on equity of 32.04%. The company had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.48 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.33 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 22.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Cheniere Energy declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th were paid a dividend of $0.555 per share. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.14%.

Key Headlines Impacting Cheniere Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting Cheniere Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Qatar Ras Laffan strikes tighten global LNG supply and push buyers toward U.S. exporters; coverage highlights Cheniere as a key alternative supplier and notes the company’s expansion plans and reported ~$10B buyback potential, which could boost shareholder returns. Qatar LNG Shock Puts Focus On Cheniere’s Growth And Buyback Potential
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment turned more constructive: a reported price target increase to $338 signals higher upside expectations versus the current trading range. Cheniere Energy NYSE: LNG Price Target Raised to $338.00
• Positive Sentiment: Industry pieces list U.S. LNG names as beneficiaries if the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, calling out exporters like Cheniere as positioned to outperform as global flows reroute to U.S. supply. 10 No-Brainer Stocks to Buy as Long as the Strait of Hormuz Is Closed
• Positive Sentiment: European low storage and the need to refill inventories create a demand tailwind for U.S. LNG exporters, supporting longer-term utilization of Cheniere’s capacity. Europe's LNG Refill Race: Tailwind for U.S. Natural Gas?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor commentary (Forbes) underscores sector sentiment favoring LNG exposure and cites structural supports (e.g., Jones Act) that some investors view as an additional reason to consider U.S. LNG names. Math Says Buy The Dip. The Jones Act Says Buy LNG
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes strong near-term profit potential for LNG producers from higher prices, but also flags longer-term challenges (repair timelines for damaged facilities, market rebalancing) that could limit duration of the rally. This is supportive of short-term margins but increases uncertainty around the multi-year outlook. War Means Profits for LNG Producers, but Long-Term Challenges
• Neutral Sentiment: Market pages and quote services show elevated trading volume and volatility; these are information sources rather than new company-specific developments. cheniere energy inc. - LNG

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on LNG shares. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $277.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $266.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Cheniere Energy from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $236.00 to $313.00 in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Cheniere Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $282.00.

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.

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.