Pinnacle Associates Ltd. Sells 1,997 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG)

Key Points

• Pinnacle Associates Ltd. reduced its position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. by 13.2%, selling 1,997 shares to hold a total of 13,123 shares worth approximately $3.04 million as of the last reporting period.
• Cheniere Energy's stock experienced mixed analyst ratings, with price targets ranging from $247.00 to $267.00, indicating a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, reflecting an annualized yield of 0.89% and a dividend payout ratio of 14.63%.

Pinnacle Associates Ltd. trimmed its position in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 13.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,123 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 1,997 shares during the quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd.'s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $3,037,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP lifted its stake in Cheniere Energy by 7.6% in the 1st quarter. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP now owns 1,494,901 shares of the energy company's stock worth $345,920,000 after purchasing an additional 105,875 shares in the last quarter. Fractal Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 27.7% in the 1st quarter. Fractal Investments LLC now owns 75,585 shares of the energy company's stock worth $17,490,000 after buying an additional 16,385 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 23,505 shares of the energy company's stock worth $5,439,000 after purchasing an additional 1,630 shares during the last quarter. Martin Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 615.4% in the 4th quarter. Martin Investment Management LLC now owns 28,223 shares of the energy company's stock worth $6,064,000 after purchasing an additional 24,278 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in Cheniere Energy by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 37,378 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $8,032,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Up 2.3%

LNG traded up $5.23 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $233.71. The company had a trading volume of 1,006,892 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,138,544. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.06. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $167.66 and a 12 month high of $257.65. The business's fifty day moving average price is $234.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $229.25. The company has a market cap of $51.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.09 and a beta of 0.42.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.57 EPS 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 business had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.73 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th will be issued 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 dividend yield of 0.86%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.63%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LNG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their price target on Cheniere Energy from $258.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $288.00 target price on shares of Cheniere Energy and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $255.00 to $247.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wolfe Research lowered Cheniere Energy from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $252.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $260.36.

Insider Activity at Cheniere Energy

In related news, Director Neal A. Shear sold 4,300 shares of the firm'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 value of $1,057,499.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 29,733 shares in the company, valued at $7,312,236.69. This trade represents a 12.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Company 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.