Beaconlight Capital LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Beaconlight Capital LLC reduced its stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 40.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 35,835 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 24,304 shares during the period. Cheniere Energy makes up about 4.1% of Beaconlight Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Beaconlight Capital LLC’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $6,966,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LNG. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new position in Cheniere Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $335,000. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 13.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 8,825 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $2,149,000 after acquiring an additional 1,035 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 23.1% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 183,153 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $44,600,000 after acquiring an additional 34,422 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 103,040 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $25,092,000 after acquiring an additional 805 shares during the period. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC raised its holdings in Cheniere Energy by 87.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 36,502 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $8,889,000 after acquiring an additional 16,977 shares during the period. 87.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $313.00 to $308.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Scotiabank reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Cheniere Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.71.

Cheniere Energy Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of LNG opened at $231.67 on Thursday. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $186.20 and a 12 month high of $300.89. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $248.29 and its 200-day moving average is $231.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.55 billion and a PE ratio of 38.10. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The energy company reported ($16.65) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). Cheniere Energy had a return on equity of 38.95% and a net margin of 7.23%.The business had revenue of $5.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.69 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 14.93 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.51%.

Cheniere Energy declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the energy company to repurchase up to 21.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of Cheniere Energy 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 directly owned 87,146 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,143,800. This trade represents a 24.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of Cheniere Energy 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at $18,622,720. This trade represents a 25.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

About Cheniere Energy

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.