Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.18 EPS

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The shipping company reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.18, Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $137.55 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $129.88 million. Golar LNG had a net margin of 30.10% and a return on equity of 6.80%.

Here are the key takeaways from Golar LNG’s conference call:

• Golar reported a record Q1 for LNG production, with Gimi running 19% above contracted capacity and Hilli maintaining 100% economic uptime. Management said this drove EBITDA to $106 million and net income to $102 million.
• The company reiterated a $17 billion EBITDA backlog from long-term FLNG charters and said annual run-rate EBITDA could exceed $800 million once all three units are in operation. Golar also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share.
• Management said commercial momentum has accelerated and now expects to order a fourth FLNG unit within 2026, citing geopolitical disruption and rising demand for diversified LNG supply. They also said a strategic review is underway to accelerate FLNG growth and maximize shareholder returns.
• The Argentina project remains on schedule, including the Hilli relocation, dedicated pipeline work, and the Mark II FLNG, which is still targeted for delivery at year-end 2027. Management said the San Matías pipeline awards are in place and the project is progressing well versus budget.
• Golar highlighted commodity upside in its Argentina contracts, saying higher LNG price indices lifted the value of its exposure in Q1. The company also noted that some volumes may be reserved for spot sales, but the final mix between fixed and commodity-linked pricing is still being negotiated.

Golar LNG Trading Down 1.1%

GLNG opened at $51.75 on Friday. Golar LNG has a twelve month low of $35.02 and a twelve month high of $57.79. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $53.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $44.64. The company has a quick ratio of 2.55, a current ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.77 and a beta of 0.06.

Golar LNG Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Golar LNG’s dividend payout ratio is currently 72.46%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Golar LNG

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. J.Safra Asset Management Corp lifted its position in Golar LNG by 76.6% during the fourth quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 7,208 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 3,127 shares during the period. Bridgewater Associates LP bought a new stake in Golar LNG during the fourth quarter worth about $264,000. Cibc World Markets Corp bought a new stake in Golar LNG during the fourth quarter worth about $241,000. Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in Golar LNG during the third quarter worth about $230,000. Finally, Rossby Financial LCC bought a new stake in Golar LNG during the fourth quarter worth about $186,000. Institutional investors own 92.21% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on GLNG shares. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $67.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Pareto Securities lowered shares of Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Golar LNG from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Golar LNG in a report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Golar LNG presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.