Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) had its price target lifted by stock analysts at Citigroup from $280.00 to $330.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the energy company’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 17.21% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on LNG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $279.00 to $338.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $282.00 to $271.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Barclays raised their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Wolfe Research set a $220.00 target price on Cheniere Energy and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their target price on Cheniere Energy from $266.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. 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 company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $287.24.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Shares of LNG opened at $281.55 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $59.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.59 and a beta of 0.14. Cheniere Energy has a 52-week low of $186.20 and a 52-week high of $300.89. 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 50 day moving average price of $242.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $221.93.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $10.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.90 by $6.78. The company 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.33 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Cheniere Energy will post 11.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheniere Energy declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback 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 repurchase up to 21.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Cheniere Energy news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of Cheniere Energy stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $8,700,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 87,146 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,143,800. The trade was a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Cheniere Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNG. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,219,557 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $4,124,870,000 after purchasing an additional 414,022 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Cheniere Energy by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,174,695 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $1,200,299,000 after purchasing an additional 167,622 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Cheniere Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $731,774,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Cheniere Energy by 12.5% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,279,078 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $443,031,000 after buying an additional 253,469 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Cheniere Energy by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,263,826 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $440,047,000 after buying an additional 134,695 shares during the period. 87.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Cheniere Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi lifted its price target to $330 and kept a Buy rating, signaling notable Wall Street conviction that U.S. LNG exporters like Cheniere will benefit from Middle East supply disruptions. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Cheniere reported record production, a big EPS beat and strong distributable cash flow, supporting near-term profitability and capacity to fund expansion and buybacks. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Substantial completion announced for Train 5 at Corpus Christi Stage 3 increases export capacity and crystallizes expansion value for future cargo volumes. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Broader market tailwind: U.S. LNG exports hit record highs as Middle East disruptions push buyers toward U.S. supply, a structural demand boost for Cheniere as the largest U.S. exporter. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and “priced‑in” debate — some analyst notes and commentary say much of the Iran‑driven upside may already be reflected in LNG’s rally, limiting incremental upside absent further shocks. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro risk: analysts caution that persistently high LNG prices could eventually dampen demand or complicate contract/expansion dynamics, a longer‑term industry risk to monitor. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Operational setback: Sabine Pass is trimming output after an outage on one production unit — a near‑term hit to volumes and revenue that could temper upside while repairs are underway. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: recent large sales by EVP Sean Markowitz and CFO Zach Davis (SEC filings disclosed) may create short‑term selling pressure or raise investor questions about timing of personal liquidity events. Read More. Read More.

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.