Natixis Advisors LLC Buys 7,247 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 8.7%, acquiring an additional 7,247 shares during the first quarter, bringing their total holdings to 90,082 shares valued at approximately $20.8 million.
• Director Neal A. Shear sold 4,300 shares of the company's stock, resulting in a 12.63% decrease in his ownership, with the sale totaling over $1 million.
• An analyst update showed a mix of ratings, including several "buy" recommendations, with the target prices for Cheniere Energy reaching up to $288.00, reflecting a bullish outlook on the stock.

Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 8.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 90,082 shares of the energy company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,247 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC's holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $20,845,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. REAP Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 150.0% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 125 shares of the energy company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the first quarter worth about $38,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC lifted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 676.0% during the 1st quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 194 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Neal A. Shear sold 4,300 shares of Cheniere Energy 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 transaction, the director directly owned 29,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,312,236.69. This trade represents a 12.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of Cheniere Energy from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Scotiabank reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. TD Cowen increased their price target on Cheniere Energy from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $288.00 target price on Cheniere Energy and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $260.36.

Cheniere Energy Price Performance

Cheniere Energy stock opened at $238.39 on Friday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $235.42 and its 200 day moving average is $229.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24. The company has a market cap of $52.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.44 and a beta of 0.43. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52-week low of $167.66 and a 52-week high of $257.65.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.81 by ($1.24). Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 18.37% and a return on equity of 32.62%. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.73 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The firm 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 $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio is 14.63%.

Cheniere Energy Profile

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.

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