PDT Partners LLC Takes Position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• PDT Partners LLC has made a new investment in Cheniere Energy, Inc., purchasing 5,100 shares valued at approximately $1.18 million.
• Cheniere Energy reported earnings with an EPS of $7.30, significantly exceeding estimates, along with revenue growth of 42.8% year-over-year.
• The company's stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" from analysts, with an average target price of $263.29.

PDT Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 5,100 shares of the energy company's stock, valued at approximately $1,180,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of LNG. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $335,000. AXA S.A. boosted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 31,816 shares of the energy company's stock worth $6,836,000 after buying an additional 2,369 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Cheniere Energy by 161.0% during the fourth quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,406 shares of the energy company's stock worth $732,000 after buying an additional 2,101 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 34.9% in the fourth quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 85,244 shares of the energy company's stock worth $18,316,000 after acquiring an additional 22,055 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cary Street Partners Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth $181,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

NYSE LNG traded down $2.17 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $233.61. 1,714,432 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,078,041. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $235.47 and a 200 day moving average of $230.84. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $175.14 and a 12-month high of $257.65. The company has a market cap of $51.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.64 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96.

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

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 18th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 11.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on LNG. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $262.00 price target (up from $253.00) on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Friday, August 8th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $267.00 to $284.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $288.00 target price on Cheniere Energy and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $263.29.

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.