Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG – Free Report) had its price target hoisted by Scotiabank from $285.00 to $288.00 in a report released on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. Scotiabank currently has a sector outperform rating on the energy company’s stock.
LNG has been the topic of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Cheniere Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $236.00 to $313.00 in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $271.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $293.00.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on LNG
Cheniere Energy Stock Up 2.5%
Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 22.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.33 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Cheniere Energy will post 11.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th were paid a dividend of $0.555 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Cheniere Energy’s payout ratio is presently 9.14%.
Cheniere Energy announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to buyback $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the energy company to buy up to 21.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
Insider Activity at Cheniere Energy
In other news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This represents a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.98, for a total transaction of $6,473,141.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,622,720. This represents 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 0.26% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cheniere Energy
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LNG. Viking Fund Management LLC increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 66.7% in the 4th quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 45,000 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $8,748,000 after buying an additional 18,000 shares during the period. Railway Pension Investments Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 62.9% in the 3rd quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd now owns 777,200 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $182,626,000 after buying an additional 300,100 shares in the last quarter. M&G PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 49.6% in the 3rd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 556,285 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $130,727,000 after buying an additional 184,520 shares in the last quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 35.3% in the 3rd quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd now owns 196,819 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $46,244,000 after buying an additional 51,326 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 12.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 1,460,762 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $343,250,000 after buying an additional 163,861 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.26% of the company’s stock.
Cheniere Energy News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Cheniere Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Middle East tensions are tightening global LNG supply, and several analysts/coverage pieces say Cheniere’s scale and contract visibility make it a likely beneficiary of stronger international demand. Is Cheniere Energy the LNG Stock to Buy on Mideast Tension?
- Positive Sentiment: Natural‑gas prices look set to rebound, which would support higher realized prices and EBITDA for exporters; coverage specifically calls out Cheniere as a primary beneficiary. Natural Gas Looks Ready to Rebound. Cheniere and Expand Energy Should Benefit.
- Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target materially (recent coverage highlights a raise to $330) and expects strong Q1 EBITDA, signaling bullish analyst conviction about Cheniere’s ability to lock long‑term deals amid tighter markets. Cheniere Energy (LNG) Poised to Lock In Long-Term Deals as Middle East Reshapes LNG Markets
- Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank nudged its price target higher to $288 and kept an outperform/sector‑positive stance, reinforcing buy‑side momentum from multiple brokers. Benzinga coverage of Scotiabank note
- Neutral Sentiment: Market writeups (and investor Q&As) note soaring natural‑gas prices and explore whether Cheniere is a buy at current levels — useful context but not a hard directional catalyst by itself. Natural gas prices are soaring. Should you buy Cheniere here?
- Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan trimmed its price target (coverage notes a cut to ~$325) despite expecting a strong Q1, signaling at least one large shop is more cautious on forward upside — a check on unanimous bullishness. JPMorgan Lowers Cheniere Energy (LNG) Price Target Despite Strong Q1 Expectations
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.
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