Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.08 EPS

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The shipping company reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.08, Zacks reports. Golar LNG had a return on equity of 6.24% and a net margin of 16.69%.

Here are the key takeaways from Golar LNG’s conference call:

• Golar reported a record Q1 for LNG production, with Gimi running 19% above contracted capacity and Hilli maintaining 100% economic uptime. Management said this drove EBITDA to $106 million and net income to $102 million.
• The company reiterated a $17 billion EBITDA backlog from long-term FLNG charters and said annual run-rate EBITDA could exceed $800 million once all three units are in operation. Golar also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share.
• Management said commercial momentum has accelerated and now expects to order a fourth FLNG unit within 2026, citing geopolitical disruption and rising demand for diversified LNG supply. They also said a strategic review is underway to accelerate FLNG growth and maximize shareholder returns.
• The Argentina project remains on schedule, including the Hilli relocation, dedicated pipeline work, and the Mark II FLNG, which is still targeted for delivery at year-end 2027. Management said the San Matías pipeline awards are in place and the project is progressing well versus budget.
• Golar highlighted commodity upside in its Argentina contracts, saying higher LNG price indices lifted the value of its exposure in Q1. The company also noted that some volumes may be reserved for spot sales, but the final mix between fixed and commodity-linked pricing is still being negotiated.

Golar LNG Price Performance

Shares of Golar LNG stock opened at $55.65 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $5.64 billion, a PE ratio of 86.95 and a beta of 0.06. The company has a current ratio of 2.55, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Golar LNG has a 52 week low of $35.02 and a 52 week high of $57.79. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $52.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.45.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. Golar LNG’s payout ratio is presently 156.25%.

Institutional Trading of Golar LNG

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Amundi boosted its stake in Golar LNG by 29.6% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 19,586 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $744,000 after acquiring an additional 4,468 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in Golar LNG by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 58,915 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $2,238,000 after buying an additional 2,572 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its position in Golar LNG by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 17,100 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $704,000 after buying an additional 459 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. increased its position in Golar LNG by 68.4% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 11,689 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $481,000 after buying an additional 4,746 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Golar LNG by 94.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,356 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 657 shares during the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on GLNG. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $56.00 target price on Golar LNG in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Golar LNG from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, BTIG Research raised their price target on shares of Golar LNG from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $51.13.

Golar LNG Company Profile

Golar LNG Ltd. is a leading owner and operator of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and floating infrastructure. The company specializes in the transportation of LNG on long-term and spot charters for major energy firms around the world. In addition to shipping, Golar LNG has broadened its services to include project development and the conversion of existing carriers into Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) and Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) vessels.

Since pioneering the first purpose-built FLNG conversion project, Golar LNG has been at the forefront of offshore gas monetization.