Venture Global (NYSE:VG) COO Sells $2,465,459.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Venture Global COO Brian Cothran sold 152,660 shares at an average price of $16.15, totaling approximately $2.47 million, according to an SEC filing.
• The stock closed at $15.26, with a market capitalization of $38.15 billion, after recently trading between $5.72 and $17.62 over the past year. The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.51, slightly above analyst expectations.
• Venture Global doubled its quarterly dividend to $0.04 per share, implying a 1.0% annualized yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $16.13.

Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG - Get Free Report) COO Brian Cothran sold 152,660 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.15, for a total value of $2,465,459.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Venture Global Stock Performance

NYSE VG traded down $0.54 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $15.26. The company's stock had a trading volume of 19,986,422 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,504,027. Venture Global, Inc. has a 12 month low of $5.72 and a 12 month high of $17.62. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $13.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $13.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The company has a market cap of $38.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 0.26.

Venture Global (NYSE:VG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.58 billion for the quarter. Venture Global had a net margin of 21.24% and a return on equity of 34.08%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Venture Global, Inc. will post 1.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Venture Global Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.04 per share. This represents a $0.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. This is a positive change from Venture Global's previous quarterly dividend of $0.02. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Venture Global's payout ratio is currently 5.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Venture Global from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Venture Global in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Zacks Research raised Venture Global from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings downgraded Venture Global from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Mizuho raised their target price on Venture Global from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $16.13.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Venture Global in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Harbour Investments Inc. purchased a new position in Venture Global during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in Venture Global by 218.1% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 4,421 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 3,031 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc bought a new stake in Venture Global during the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc increased its position in Venture Global by 67.5% in the first quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 4,480 shares of the company's stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 1,805 shares in the last quarter.

Venture Global Company Profile

Venture Global, Inc is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company that develops, constructs and operates LNG export facilities in the United States. The company sources natural gas from domestic markets, liquefies it at its coastal facilities and supplies LNG to customers in international markets.

Venture Global's operating and development portfolio is concentrated along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Its Calcasieu Pass LNG facility in Louisiana has entered commercial operations, while its Plaquemines LNG project in Louisiana is being developed and brought into service.

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