Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG)

Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors purchased 6,975 call options on the company. This is an increase of 40% compared to the typical volume of 4,989 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on LNG shares. Morgan Stanley set a $236.00 price objective on Cheniere Energy and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $266.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Cheniere Energy from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cheniere Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.94.

Cheniere Energy Trading Up 5.7%

Shares of LNG stock opened at $281.47 on Friday. Cheniere Energy has a 1-year low of $186.20 and a 1-year high of $299.49. The company has a market cap of $59.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.58 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $224.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $218.15.

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

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th were given a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 9.14%.

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

More Cheniere Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Missile strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial complex exacerbated global LNG supply worries, a direct tailwind for U.S. exporters like Cheniere. The world’s largest natural-gas complex is now battered. Here’s who will benefit.
• Positive Sentiment: Natural gas prices surged after Iran’s attacks, and coverage highlights U.S. LNG exporters rallying as buyers seek alternative supplies — a demand/price boost for Cheniere. Natural Gas Prices Soar After Iran’s Attacks. 3 LNG Stocks to Watch.
• Positive Sentiment: Cheniere is in advanced talks to expand and accelerate deliveries to Thailand (potentially lifting volumes from 1.0 to 1.3 mtpa), which signals contract growth and revenue upside. Cheniere And Thailand Talks Highlight LNG Growth And Debt Trade Off
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage notes Cheniere hit record intraday highs amid the Hormuz crisis and Thailand order momentum—momentum that attracts momentum buyers and re-rates expectations. Cheniere Energy (LNG) Stock Soars to Record High Amid Hormuz Crisis and Thai Contract Boost
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option volume (roughly a 40% increase vs. typical activity) shows short‑term bullish positioning by traders, amplifying upward pressure.
• Neutral Sentiment: Round‑up reporting explains the intraday move and investor reaction; useful for situational context but not new fundamental data. What’s going on with Cheniere Energy stock today?
• Negative Sentiment: Broader macro risks—rising rates, inflation and greater geopolitical volatility—could cap multiples or increase financing/operational costs, tempering gains if conditions worsen. Oil Shock, Rising Rates, High Inflation: 3 Sectors Poised to Benefit

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LNG. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $335,000. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 0.7% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 89,701 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $21,844,000 after acquiring an additional 592 shares during the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 33.8% during the second quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 15,741 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $3,833,000 after purchasing an additional 3,976 shares in the last quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 15.4% in the 2nd quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 1,243 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $303,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kingsview Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 380.5% in the 2nd quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,414 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $2,049,000 after purchasing an additional 6,663 shares in the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.