M&G PLC Increases Holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

M&G PLC grew its stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 49.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 556,285 shares of the energy company’s stock after acquiring an additional 184,520 shares during the quarter. M&G PLC’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $130,727,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the second quarter worth about $957,425,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp boosted its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 704.3% in the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 952,092 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $231,853,000 after purchasing an additional 833,723 shares during the last quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $142,688,000. Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $107,319,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 32.6% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,729,359 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $421,134,000 after buying an additional 425,106 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $254.00 price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Barclays decreased their price target on Cheniere Energy from $262.00 to $259.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $274.00 to $271.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $275.00 target price on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $283.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Cheniere Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $264.24.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

NYSE LNG opened at $220.19 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $47.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.27 and a beta of 0.27. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $200.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $216.96. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 1-year low of $186.20 and a 1-year high of $246.42.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The firm 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 is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 12.37%.

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.