Spectrum Asset Management Inc. NB CA Has $1.93 Million Stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Spectrum Asset Management Inc. NB CA lessened its holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 17.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,917 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 2,100 shares during the period. Spectrum Asset Management Inc. NB CA’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $1,928,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in Cheniere Energy in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Cheniere Energy in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in Cheniere Energy by 250.0% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 140 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Accordant Advisory Group Inc acquired a new position in Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. raised its position in Cheniere Energy by 47.6% in the third quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 155 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Cheniere Energy

In other news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $8,700,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This trade represents a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

NYSE LNG opened at $259.62 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $54.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.68 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a 50 day moving average of $251.43 and a 200-day moving average of $223.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 1-year low of $186.20 and a 1-year high of $300.89.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $10.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.90 by $6.78. The company had revenue of $5.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.48 billion. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 26.68% and a return on equity of 32.04%. The company’s revenue was up 22.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.33 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the energy company to repurchase up to 21.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued a dividend of $0.555 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LNG has been the subject of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $338.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Scotiabank increased 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 report on Thursday, March 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $292.82.

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.