Golar LNG Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:GLNG)

Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 10,782 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 148% compared to the typical volume of 4,352 call options.

Golar LNG Trading Down 0.9%

Golar LNG stock traded down $0.39 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $41.44. 965,138 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,464,546. Golar LNG has a 12 month low of $25.50 and a 12 month high of $44.36. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $38.15 and a 200 day moving average of $39.18. The firm has a market cap of $4.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 296.02 and a beta of 0.62.

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 27th. The shipping company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $63.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $64.90 million. Golar LNG had a net margin of 4.92% and a return on equity of 9.12%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Golar LNG will post 1.39 EPS for the current year.

Golar LNG Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 3rd will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.41%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 3rd. Golar LNG's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 3,333.33%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Golar LNG

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Golar LNG by 431.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 185,018 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $6,802,000 after buying an additional 150,195 shares in the last quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Golar LNG by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,500 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $444,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Golar LNG by 116.8% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,975 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 1,603 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Golar LNG during the 4th quarter valued at about $214,000. Finally, Savant Capital LLC acquired a new position in Golar LNG in the fourth quarter valued at about $270,000. 92.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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