5,186 Shares in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG Acquired by Sovereign Financial Group Inc.

Sovereign Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 5,186 shares of the energy company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,472,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc purchased a new position in Cheniere Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in Cheniere Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on LNG. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $283.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $313.00 to $308.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Cheniere Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $286.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.71.

Cheniere Energy Stock Up 1.7%

NYSE LNG opened at $230.83 on Tuesday. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $186.20 and a 52 week high of $300.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55. The company has a market capitalization of $48.37 billion and a P/E ratio of 37.97. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $245.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $232.37.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $5.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.69 billion. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 38.95%. The company’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 14.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were given a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.51%.

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase 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 buy up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This represents a 24.97% decrease in their position. The sale 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 business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total value of $6,473,141.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

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.