Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC Cuts Holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC lowered its position in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 44.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 3,123 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 2,450 shares during the period. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $716,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its position in Cheniere Energy by 250.0% during 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. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 47.6% in the third quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 155 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 87.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on LNG shares. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $254.00 target price on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $283.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 12th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $274.00 to $271.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.89.

Cheniere Energy Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of LNG opened at $254.77 on Friday. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52-week low of $186.20 and a 52-week high of $259.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $213.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $216.99. The company has a market capitalization of $53.55 billion, a PE ratio of 10.48 and a beta of 0.25.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $10.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.90 by $6.78. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 26.68% and a return on equity of 32.04%. The firm had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.48 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.33 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 22.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 11.69 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

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

Cheniere Energy announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the energy company to reacquire up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Cheniere Energy 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.