Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Grows Stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management increased its Cheniere Energy stake by 6.7% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 214,685 shares valued at about $42.5 million. Institutional ownership in Cheniere remains very high at 87.26%.
• Cheniere posted a mixed quarterly update: revenue beat expectations at $5.87 billion, but reported EPS was a large miss due to derivative and hedge losses tied to LNG price volatility. Despite the headline loss, the company raised its outlook for 2026 distributable cash flow and production.
• The company also authorized a $10 billion share buyback and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.555 per share, signaling confidence in its cash generation. Meanwhile, analysts remain broadly positive, with several firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 6.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 214,685 shares of the energy company's stock after buying an additional 13,569 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.10% of Cheniere Energy worth $42,465,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 7.3% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 688 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $162,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 3.3% in the third quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,488 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $350,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 6.1% in the third quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC now owns 875 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $206,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC lifted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 2.3% in the third quarter. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC now owns 2,275 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $535,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hardy Reed LLC lifted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 2.3% in the third quarter. Hardy Reed LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $536,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Cheniere Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cheniere reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter revenue and adjusted earnings, with EPS of $4.77 versus estimates of $3.91 and revenue of $5.87 billion versus $5.69 billion expected. The company also raised full-year 2026 guidance, which is a supportive signal for investors. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: Management lifted 2026 distributable cash flow guidance to $4.75 billion-$5.25 billion and increased production outlook to 52-54 million tons, reinforcing confidence in cash generation and LNG export growth. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Cheniere now has its largest LNG shipping fleet yet and that LNG exports are hitting record highs highlight expanding operational capacity and strong market demand. Article link
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector news around broader energy stocks being weaker Thursday may have added some short-term pressure to LNG alongside the company-specific earnings reaction. Article link
• Negative Sentiment: The headline quarterly loss was driven by large derivative mark-to-market and hedge losses tied to LNG price volatility, which weighed on reported earnings and likely contributed to the stock’s decline despite solid underlying cash flow. Article link

Cheniere Energy Trading Down 2.8%

Shares of LNG stock opened at $239.92 on Friday. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $186.20 and a 12-month high of $300.89. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $263.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $226.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.46 and a beta of 0.07.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The energy company reported ($16.65) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 36.34% and a net margin of 7.23%.The company had revenue of $5.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.69 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.57 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 13.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the energy company to purchase up to 21.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.555 per share. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy's payout ratio is presently 36.51%.

Insider Activity at Cheniere Energy

In other Cheniere Energy news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $8,700,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 87,146 shares of the company's stock, valued at $26,143,800. The trade was a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LNG has been the topic of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted 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. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Cheniere Energy from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Cheniere Energy from $296.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Barclays lifted their target price on Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Cheniere Energy from $305.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Cheniere Energy has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $295.56.

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.

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