Continuum Advisory LLC Raises Stock Position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Continuum Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 16.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,727 shares of the energy company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,354 shares during the quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $3,252,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in LNG. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in Cheniere Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $335,000. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its position in Cheniere Energy by 13.3% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 8,825 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $2,149,000 after purchasing an additional 1,035 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in Cheniere Energy by 23.1% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 183,153 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $44,600,000 after purchasing an additional 34,422 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its position in Cheniere Energy by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 103,040 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $25,092,000 after purchasing an additional 805 shares during the period. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC increased its position in Cheniere Energy by 87.0% during the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 36,502 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $8,889,000 after purchasing an additional 16,977 shares during the period. 87.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Scotiabank restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $296.00 to $322.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $271.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 13th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $298.63.

Key Cheniere Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cheniere advanced the next phase of its Sabine Pass LNG expansion by awarding Bechtel the EPC contract, reinforcing its growth strategy and future export capacity. Bechtel picked for $4.69B Sabine Pass LNG expansion in Louisiana
• Positive Sentiment: Cheniere also awarded the EPC contract for the next phase of Sabine Pass expansion to Bechtel, another sign that management is moving ahead with a major capacity buildout. Cheniere awards EPC contract for next phase of Sabine Pass LNG expansion to Bechtel
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised earnings estimates for Cheniere, while JPMorgan lifted its price target to $327 and kept an overweight rating, which can support investor confidence in the stock. Benzinga report on JPMorgan price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: US Capital Advisors increased earnings forecasts across multiple future periods, reflecting expectations for stronger profitability and a favorable LNG export backdrop. Cheniere Energy (LNG) Moves To Scale Capacity Amid Favorable LNG Exports Backdrop
• Neutral Sentiment: The broader energy/LNG commentary highlighted Cheniere as a beneficiary of stronger global LNG demand, especially as Europe seeks more diverse energy supplies, but this is more thematic support than a company-specific development. See opportunities in European defense & U.S. LNG : RGA Investments

Insider Transactions at Cheniere Energy

In related news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $8,700,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares in the company, valued at $26,143,800. The trade was a 24.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total transaction of $6,473,141.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Shares of LNG stock opened at $240.65 on Friday. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $186.20 and a 12 month high of $300.89. The stock has a market cap of $50.43 billion and a PE ratio of 39.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $257.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $230.13.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The energy company reported ($16.65) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.25 by ($20.90). The firm had revenue of $5.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.69 billion. Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 38.95% and a net margin of 7.23%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 14.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Cheniere Energy’s payout ratio is presently 36.51%.

Cheniere Energy declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the energy company to buy up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Cheniere Energy 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.