Natixis Trims Stock Position in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG)

Natixis lessened its stake in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Free Report) by 83.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,247 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 16,385 shares during the period. Natixis' holdings in Golar LNG were worth $137,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Discovery Capital Management LLC CT bought a new position in Golar LNG during the 4th quarter worth about $17,719,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 56.3% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 887,842 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $37,573,000 after purchasing an additional 319,677 shares in the last quarter. Atika Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Golar LNG during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $8,401,000. ARS Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in Golar LNG by 1,158.1% in the fourth quarter. ARS Investment Partners LLC now owns 213,876 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $9,051,000 after buying an additional 196,876 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charter Oak Advisors LP purchased a new stake in Golar LNG during the fourth quarter worth $8,016,000. Institutional investors own 92.21% of the company's stock.

Golar LNG Stock Performance

GLNG stock traded down $0.42 during trading on Thursday, reaching $42.10. The company had a trading volume of 544,252 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,386,175. The company has a market cap of $4.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 301.71 and a beta of 0.47. Golar LNG Limited has a twelve month low of $24.42 and a twelve month high of $44.36. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $38.84.

Golar LNG Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.38%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. Golar LNG's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 208.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on GLNG shares. Dnb Nor Markets upgraded Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. DNB Markets upgraded shares of Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Golar LNG to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, Fearnley Fonds upgraded shares of Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $49.70.

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.