HighTower Advisors LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 168,949 shares of the energy company’s stock after acquiring an additional 27,445 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $39,702,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Cheniere Energy by 473.7% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 140 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy in the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

LNG opened at $218.73 on Wednesday. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 1-year low of $186.20 and a 1-year high of $246.42. The stock has a market cap of $47.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.19 and a beta of 0.27. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $201.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $216.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be given a $0.555 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.37%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and set a $278.00 price target (up from $275.00) on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Friday, October 24th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Cheniere Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Cheniere Energy from $284.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wolfe Research set a $220.00 price objective on Cheniere Energy and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $251.00 price objective on Cheniere Energy in a research report on Sunday, January 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Cheniere Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $264.24.

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.