Spectrum Strategic Capital Management LLC Sells 4,377 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• Spectrum Strategic Capital Management cut its Cheniere Energy stake by 45.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 4,377 shares and leaving it with 5,207 shares valued at about $1.01 million.
• Cheniere reported Q1 earnings that missed expectations, posting EPS of -$16.65 versus a consensus of $4.25, though revenue of $5.87 billion still topped estimates and rose 7.8% year over year.
• The company announced a $10 billion share repurchase program and a quarterly dividend of $0.555 per share, while analysts currently rate the stock a Buy with an average price target of $293.50.

Spectrum Strategic Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 45.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,207 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 4,377 shares during the period. Spectrum Strategic Capital Management LLC's holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $1,012,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in LNG. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $142,688,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,219,557 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $4,124,870,000 after purchasing an additional 414,022 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,007,073 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $1,411,542,000 after purchasing an additional 377,369 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 21.5% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,025,609 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $475,633,000 after purchasing an additional 359,123 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 53.7% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 816,028 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $191,750,000 after purchasing an additional 285,062 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.26% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Cheniere Energy stock opened at $241.77 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $50.66 billion, a PE ratio of 39.76 and a beta of 0.07. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $186.20 and a 52 week high of $300.89. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $264.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $227.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The energy company reported ($16.65) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). The company had revenue of $5.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.69 billion. Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 38.95% and a net margin of 7.23%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 15.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be given a dividend of $0.555 per share. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.51%.

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the energy company to buy up to 21.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on LNG shares. Zacks Research upgraded Cheniere Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $271.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Cheniere Energy from $286.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Cheniere Energy presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $293.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total transaction of $6,473,141.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,622,720. This trade represents a 25.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

Cheniere Energy 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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