Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) Shares Acquired by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Free Report) by 60.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 350,858 shares of the shipping company's stock after purchasing an additional 131,887 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 0.34% of Golar LNG worth $14,848,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of GLNG. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Golar LNG by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,500 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $444,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Golar LNG by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 5,996 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $254,000 after purchasing an additional 534 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Golar LNG during the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 13.3% during the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 7,363 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $312,000 after purchasing an additional 866 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Terril Brothers Inc. raised its position in shares of Golar LNG by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Terril Brothers Inc. now owns 11,400 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $482,000 after buying an additional 900 shares during the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GLNG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Fearnley Fonds raised shares of Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. StockNews.com raised Golar LNG to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Golar LNG from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, DNB Markets lowered Golar LNG from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.13.

Golar LNG Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of GLNG stock traded up $0.53 on Thursday, reaching $37.85. 194,424 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,651,551. Golar LNG Limited has a 1-year low of $24.42 and a 1-year high of $44.36. The stock has a market cap of $3.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 270.38 and a beta of 0.47. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $36.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.75.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.64%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. Golar LNG's dividend payout ratio is currently 208.33%.

Golar LNG Profile

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.