Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) Receives $49.17 Average PT from Brokerages

Key Points

• Golar LNG Limited has received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, with a consensus price target of $49.17.
• The company recently reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, missing analyst estimates of $0.29, and had revenue of $75.67 million, below expectations.
• Golar LNG announced a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, yielding 2.4%, with a significantly high payout ratio of -1,428.57%.

Shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Buy" from the seven brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $49.1667.

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating on shares of Golar LNG in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Zacks Research raised Golar LNG from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday. B. Riley restated a "neutral" rating and set a $44.50 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research report on Monday, August 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Golar LNG from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 7th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Naria Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Golar LNG in the 4th quarter worth approximately $435,226,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC bought a new stake in Golar LNG during the first quarter worth approximately $44,682,000. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Golar LNG by 73.8% in the first quarter. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,276,083 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $86,468,000 after purchasing an additional 966,692 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in Golar LNG in the first quarter worth approximately $33,975,000. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. bought a new position in Golar LNG during the 2nd quarter valued at $24,714,000. Institutional investors own 92.21% of the company's stock.

Golar LNG Stock Performance

Golar LNG stock traded down $0.23 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $39.84. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,463,779 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,306,283. The firm has a market cap of $4.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -569.06 and a beta of 0.42. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $41.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $39.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Golar LNG has a twelve month low of $29.56 and a twelve month high of $45.98.

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by ($0.03). Golar LNG had a positive return on equity of 6.36% and a negative net margin of 2.83%.The business had revenue of $75.67 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $79.37 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Golar LNG will post 1.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 26th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 26th. Golar LNG's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1,428.57%.

About Golar LNG

Golar LNG Limited designs, converts, owns, and operates marine infrastructure for the liquefaction of natural gas. The company operates through three segments: FLNG, Corporate and Other, and Shipping. It engages in the regasification, storage, and offloading of liquefied natural gas (LNG); operation of floating liquefaction natural gas (FLNG) vessels or projects; transportation of LNG carriers; and vessel management activities.