WealthPlan Investment Management LLC Sells 7,719 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Key Points

• WealthPlan Investment Management reduced its Cheniere Energy stake by 41.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 7,719 shares and ending with 10,877 shares valued at about $2.11 million.
• Cheniere reported mixed quarterly results, with revenue of $5.87 billion topping estimates but earnings per share of ($16.65) missing expectations by a wide margin. Analysts still forecast full-year EPS of 15.2.
• The company continues to return cash to shareholders through a quarterly dividend of $0.555 per share and a $10 billion share buyback authorization, while Wall Street largely remains bullish with a consensus Buy rating and $293.50 target price.

WealthPlan Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 41.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 10,877 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 7,719 shares during the period. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC's holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $2,114,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth $27,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its stake in Cheniere Energy by 250.0% during the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 140 shares of the energy company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Accordant Advisory Group Inc bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth $38,000. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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 P/E ratio of 39.76 and a beta of 0.07. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $264.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $227.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 1-year low of $186.20 and a 1-year high of $300.89.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. 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 net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 38.95%. The business had revenue of $5.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.69 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. Cheniere Energy's revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 15.2 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

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 $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.51%.

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the energy company to reacquire up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on LNG shares. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $286.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Scotiabank reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Cheniere Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $293.50.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total value of $6,473,141.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 64,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,622,720. This trade represents a 25.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $8,700,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This trade represents a 24.97% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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