AlphaQuest LLC Buys 11,934 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

AlphaQuest LLC increased its position in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 326.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,587 shares of the energy company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,934 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $3,663,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 473.7% in the second quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new position in Cheniere Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the second quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. 87.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on LNG. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Cheniere Energy from $284.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 12th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Cheniere Energy from $283.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Cheniere Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Cheniere Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $251.00 price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research note on Sunday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $263.29.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Cheniere Energy stock opened at $212.92 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $199.19 and a 200-day moving average of $218.44. The company has a market capitalization of $45.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.86, a P/E/G ratio of 6.69 and a beta of 0.26. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 1 year low of $186.20 and a 1 year high of $246.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The energy company reported $4.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.75 by $2.00. The firm had revenue of $4.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.87 billion. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 21.12% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.93 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.555 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Cheniere Energy’s payout ratio is presently 12.37%.

Insider Activity at Cheniere Energy

In related news, Director W Benjamin Moreland purchased 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 4th. The stock was bought at an average price of $208.22 per share, with a total value of $1,041,100.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 9,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,052,216.32. This represents a 102.97% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Cheniere Energy Company Profile

Cheniere Energy, Inc is a U.S.-based energy company that develops, owns and operates liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure and markets LNG to global customers. The company’s core activities include natural gas liquefaction, long‑term and short‑term LNG sales and marketing, and the associated midstream services required to move gas from production basins to international markets. Cheniere focuses on converting domestic natural gas into LNG for export, providing a bridge between North American supply and overseas demand.

Cheniere’s principal operating assets are large-scale LNG export terminals located on the U.S.