Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts have given Golar LNG a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from six brokerages (three holds, two buys, one strong buy) with an average 1‑year price target of $51.13.
• Shares traded around $52.68 (12‑month range $35.02–$56.81) and the company has a market cap of $5.34B and a high P/E of 82.31, indicating a relatively rich valuation versus earnings.
• Golar pays a quarterly dividend of $0.25 ($1.00 annualized, 1.9% yield) but its payout ratio is a high 156.25%, which may raise sustainability concerns.

Shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the six brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $51.1250.

GLNG has been the subject of a number of research reports. BTIG Research lifted their price objective on Golar LNG from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $56.00 price objective on Golar LNG in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Zacks Research upgraded Golar LNG from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Golar LNG in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Golar LNG from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th.

Golar LNG Price Performance

Shares of GLNG stock opened at $52.68 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $49.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $42.55. The company has a quick ratio of 2.55, a current ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market cap of $5.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 82.31 and a beta of 0.11. Golar LNG has a 12 month low of $35.02 and a 12 month high of $56.81.

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, February 14th. The shipping company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $132.81 million during the quarter. Golar LNG had a return on equity of 6.24% and a net margin of 16.69%. Research analysts expect that Golar LNG will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. Golar LNG's payout ratio is presently 156.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Golar LNG

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GLNG. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its position in shares of Golar LNG by 108.5% in the 1st quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 515 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its stake in Golar LNG by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 4,540 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $168,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Golar LNG by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,707 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $622,000 after acquiring an additional 359 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming lifted its stake in Golar LNG by 12.7% in the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 3,878 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $144,000 after acquiring an additional 436 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in Golar LNG by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 17,100 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $704,000 after acquiring an additional 459 shares in the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Golar LNG

Golar LNG Ltd. is a leading owner and operator of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and floating infrastructure. The company specializes in the transportation of LNG on long-term and spot charters for major energy firms around the world. In addition to shipping, Golar LNG has broadened its services to include project development and the conversion of existing carriers into Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) and Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) vessels.

Since pioneering the first purpose-built FLNG conversion project, Golar LNG has been at the forefront of offshore gas monetization.

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