Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. Lowers Stock Position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG)

Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. trimmed its position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG - Free Report) by 6.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 798,399 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 51,603 shares during the period. Cheniere Energy comprises approximately 1.6% of Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.'s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. owned about 0.34% of Cheniere Energy worth $136,295,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 203.4% in the 3rd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 176 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. grew its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 21.1% during the third quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 345 shares of the energy company's stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Finally, Rational Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the third quarter valued at about $59,000. 87.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cheniere Energy Price Performance

LNG stock traded down $3.88 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $157.82. The company had a trading volume of 2,649,764 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,894,247. The company has a market capitalization of $36.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.94. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $135.30 and a 52 week high of $183.46. The stock's 50 day moving average is $157.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 1.51.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The energy company reported $5.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.70 by $3.06. The business had revenue of $4.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.37 billion. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 48.45% and a return on equity of 69.52%. The firm's revenue was down 46.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $15.78 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 8.39 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 17th. Investors of record on Friday, May 10th will be paid a $0.435 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a $1.74 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.10%. Cheniere Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.30%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LNG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group reduced their target price on Cheniere Energy from $223.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $162.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $185.00 to $178.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 27th. StockNews.com cut shares of Cheniere Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 8th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Cheniere Energy from $192.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $193.90.

About Cheniere Energy

Cheniere Energy, Inc, an energy infrastructure company, primarily engages in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) related businesses in the United States. It owns and operates the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana; and the Corpus Christi LNG terminal near Corpus Christi, Texas. The company also owns Creole Trail pipeline, a 94-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal with several interstate and intrastate pipelines; and operates Corpus Christi pipeline, a 21.5-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Corpus Christi LNG terminal with various interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines.