Quantitative Investment Management LLC Purchases Shares of 3,275 Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Quantitative Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 3,275 shares of the energy company’s stock, valued at approximately $782,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of LNG. State Street Corp lifted its position in Cheniere Energy by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,174,695 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $1,200,299,000 after acquiring an additional 167,622 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter worth $731,774,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 210.1% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,444,403 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $584,237,000 after purchasing an additional 1,656,194 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 12.5% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,279,078 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $443,031,000 after purchasing an additional 253,469 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,263,826 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $440,047,000 after purchasing an additional 134,695 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.26% of the company’s stock.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Shares of LNG opened at $293.98 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $262.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $254.50. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a one year low of $186.20 and a one year high of $300.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.87. The stock has a market cap of $60.72 billion and a P/E ratio of 21.89.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The energy company reported $3.02 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.11 by ($0.09). The firm had revenue of $5.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.92 billion. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 13.57% and a return on equity of 29.80%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $7.30 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 16.36 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 18th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were given a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.53%.

Key Cheniere Energy News

Here are the key news stories impacting Cheniere Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major capacity expansion completed: Cheniere received the seventh and final liquefaction train from contractor Bechtel. The project adds more than 10 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG capacity, raising the company’s total production capacity to approximately 56 mtpa—an increase of more than 20%. The additional capacity should support higher future volumes and strengthen Cheniere’s long-term growth outlook. Cheniere completes CCL Stage 3 liquefaction project in Texas
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded global LNG reach and operating milestone: Alongside the project completion, Cheniere produced and exported its 5,000th LNG cargo from the U.S. Gulf Coast. The milestone highlights the scale of its export platform and may reinforce investor confidence in the company’s ability to serve international LNG demand. Cheniere exports 5,000th LNG cargo
• Positive Sentiment: Direct market reaction was favorable: Reports attributed the stock’s rise to the Texas expansion announcement, with the completed project viewed as improving Cheniere’s production outlook and increasing its ability to generate revenue from LNG exports. Cheniere Energy shares rise after Texas LNG expansion completion

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on LNG shares. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Zacks Research lowered Cheniere Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Barclays upped their target price on Cheniere Energy from $274.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Cheniere Energy in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $283.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Cheniere Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $304.35.

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.