Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $264.2353.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on LNG shares. Barclays lowered their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $262.00 to $259.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Zacks Research cut Cheniere Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Cheniere Energy from $282.00 to $271.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $283.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $278.00 target price (up previously from $275.00) on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Friday, October 24th.

Cheniere Energy Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of Cheniere Energy stock opened at $213.42 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. Cheniere Energy has a 12-month low of $186.20 and a 12-month high of $246.42. The company has a market cap of $45.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.89, a PEG ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 0.27. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $199.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $217.40.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Trading of Cheniere Energy

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Cheniere Energy by 473.7% in the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Hilltop National Bank bought a new position in Cheniere Energy in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.