Parallax Volatility Advisers L.P. Boosts Stake in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG)

Parallax Volatility Advisers L.P. raised its position in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Free Report) by 32.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 98,320 shares of the shipping company's stock after buying an additional 24,221 shares during the period. Parallax Volatility Advisers L.P. owned about 0.09% of Golar LNG worth $4,161,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in Golar LNG in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $61,000. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich acquired a new stake in Golar LNG in the 4th quarter valued at $107,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Golar LNG by 116.8% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,975 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $126,000 after acquiring an additional 1,603 shares in the last quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in Golar LNG during the fourth quarter worth $141,000. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in Golar LNG by 906.4% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 3,462 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $147,000 after acquiring an additional 3,118 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.21% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Golar LNG Price Performance

Shares of GLNG stock traded down $0.30 during trading on Thursday, hitting $42.21. 750,992 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,386,770. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 301.67 and a beta of 0.47. Golar LNG Limited has a 52-week low of $24.42 and a 52-week high of $44.36. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $36.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.84.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 2.37%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. Golar LNG's dividend payout ratio is presently 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.