Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Grows Holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG)

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 7.5% in the first quarter, owning a total of approximately 181,119 shares worth $41.9 million.
• Cheniere Energy reported significant financial growth, with earnings per share of $7.30 for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations and showing a 42.8% revenue increase year-over-year.
• Multiple analysts have upgraded their price targets for Cheniere Energy, with Bank of America raising its target from $258 to $271, reflecting a consensus moderate buy rating and an average price target of $260.71.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 7.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 181,119 shares of the energy company's stock after acquiring an additional 12,668 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned about 0.08% of Cheniere Energy worth $41,911,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Altman Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Altman Advisors Inc. now owns 10,162 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $2,348,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust increased its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 1.1% during the first quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 4,212 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $975,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 14.0% during the first quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 390 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $90,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. BIP Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. BIP Wealth LLC now owns 3,545 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $762,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 4.0% during the first quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,356 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $314,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Neal A. Shear sold 4,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.93, for a total transaction of $1,057,499.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 29,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,312,236.69. The trade was a 12.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Cheniere Energy stock traded up $1.55 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $232.84. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,067,234 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,296,666. The company has a market capitalization of $51.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.59 and a beta of 0.43. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $175.14 and a 12-month high of $257.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.98. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $234.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $228.85.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The energy company reported $7.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.35 by $4.95. The company had revenue of $4.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.48 billion. Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 37.83% and a net margin of 21.05%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 42.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.84 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 18th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Cheniere Energy's payout ratio is currently 11.68%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on LNG shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $267.00 to $284.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $252.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Raymond James Financial restated a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Cheniere Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research lowered shares of Cheniere Energy from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $261.93.

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.