Golar LNG Limited $GLNG Shares Sold by Royce & Associates LP

Royce & Associates LP cut its position in shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) by 75.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 18,006 shares of the shipping company’s stock after selling 54,019 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP’s holdings in Golar LNG were worth $670,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in Golar LNG by 278.2% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 658 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 484 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Golar LNG by 281.9% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 909 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 671 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 94.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,356 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 657 shares during the period. Amplify Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 21.4% during the 4th quarter. Amplify Investments LLC now owns 2,686 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $105,000 after purchasing an additional 474 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in shares of Golar LNG during the second quarter worth $147,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.21% of the company’s stock.

Golar LNG Stock Performance

Shares of GLNG opened at $49.75 on Monday. Golar LNG Limited has a twelve month low of $35.02 and a twelve month high of $57.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.05 and a beta of 0.02. The company has a current ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 2.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $53.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.12.

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 26th. The shipping company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $137.55 million during the quarter. Golar LNG had a return on equity of 6.86% and a net margin of 30.10%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Golar LNG Limited will post 0.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. Golar LNG’s dividend payout ratio is 72.46%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on GLNG shares. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $67.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Golar LNG from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Pareto Securities cut shares of Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Golar LNG has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $56.70.

About Golar LNG

Golar LNG Ltd. is a leading owner and operator of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and floating infrastructure. The company specializes in the transportation of LNG on long-term and spot charters for major energy firms around the world. In addition to shipping, Golar LNG has broadened its services to include project development and the conversion of existing carriers into Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) and Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) vessels.

Since pioneering the first purpose-built FLNG conversion project, Golar LNG has been at the forefront of offshore gas monetization.