Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Lowers Stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. reduced its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 14.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 164,561 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 27,401 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $31,989,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp raised its position in Cheniere Energy by 6.7% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,007,073 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $1,411,542,000 after purchasing an additional 377,369 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $957,425,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Cheniere Energy by 21.5% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,025,609 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $475,633,000 after buying an additional 359,123 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its stake in Cheniere Energy by 0.5% in the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 1,845,285 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $449,364,000 after buying an additional 8,740 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Cheniere Energy by 5.6% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,786,636 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $419,824,000 after acquiring an additional 95,545 shares during the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Shares of LNG stock opened at $284.44 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $59.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.71 and a beta of 0.25. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $186.20 and a fifty-two week high of $299.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.94. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $231.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $219.34.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $10.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.90 by $6.78. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 26.68% and a return on equity of 32.04%. The firm had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.48 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.33 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 22.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 9.14%.

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the energy company to purchase up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Cheniere Energy News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Cheniere Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management says Cheniere is already operating at maximum capacity and is seeing increased calls from Asia, underlining tight market fundamentals and near‑term pricing power. Cheniere already operating at maximum capacity, CEO says – Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Cheniere is pushing to bring the next Corpus Christi LNG train online this week, which would increase export volumes and near‑term revenue visibility. Cheniere pushes to get next Corpus Christi LNG train online this week – BizJournals
• Positive Sentiment: Global supply disruption (Qatar declared force majeure) and geopolitical risk tied to the Iran conflict are tightening LNG markets — a tailwind for Cheniere’s margins and cash flows. Gas-related stocks rise as supplies tighten; QatarEnergy declares force majeure – Seeking Alpha
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple firms and strategists are bullish: Goldman Sachs highlights LNG producers as beneficiaries of prolonged disruption, Goldman raised coverage/targets, Wells Fargo is constructive with a higher price target, and Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock — reinforcing analyst support. These 3 LNG Stocks Still Have Room to Rise, Says Goldman Sachs – Investopedia
• Neutral Sentiment: US Capital Advisors issued mixed estimate changes — they lifted full‑year and later‑year EPS forecasts but trimmed some near‑term quarterly estimates, creating mixed signals for short‑term earnings expectations. Cheniere analyst estimate updates – MarketBeat
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~24% in March, increasing the potential for downward pressure or volatility from additional short selling and accelerated profit‑taking. (internal short‑interest report)
• Negative Sentiment: Executives and industry coverage note a risk that sustained high LNG prices could push customers to accelerate fuel diversification, which would be a longer‑term negative for demand. The Iran War Has Boosted LNG Profits. Here’s What’s Worrying Executives. – Barron’s

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on LNG. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $266.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $271.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Wolfe Research set a $220.00 target price on shares of Cheniere Energy and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $277.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $296.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $277.71.

About Cheniere Energy

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.