Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC Sells 10,620 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC cut its Cheniere Energy stake by 49.1% in the first quarter, selling 10,620 shares and ending with 11,027 shares worth about $3.13 million.
• Insider selling was notable: CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares for $8.7 million, and EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares for about $6.47 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains mostly positive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $297.71, even after Zacks Research downgraded the stock to hold.

Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC lessened its position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 49.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,027 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 10,620 shares during the quarter. Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC's holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $3,129,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 7.3% during the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 688 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $162,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 6.1% in the third quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC now owns 875 shares of the energy company's stock worth $206,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Aviso Wealth Management boosted its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Aviso Wealth Management now owns 2,489 shares of the energy company's stock worth $484,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Keel Point LLC grew its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 5.2% in the third quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 1,111 shares of the energy company's stock worth $261,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Waterfront Wealth Inc. grew its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 1,486 shares of the energy company's stock worth $311,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cheniere Energy

In other Cheniere Energy news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This represents a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total value of $6,473,141.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research lowered Cheniere Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Scotiabank reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $297.71.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Shares of LNG stock opened at $227.25 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $246.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $232.06. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $186.20 and a 52 week high of $300.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.62 billion and a PE ratio of 37.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The energy company reported ($16.65) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 38.95% and a net margin of 7.23%.The company had revenue of $5.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.69 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 14.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Cheniere Energy announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the energy company to purchase up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.51%.

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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