Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co Buys 3,800 Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co boosted its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 8.7% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 47,700 shares of the energy company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,800 shares during the period. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $11,209,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Cheniere Energy by 47.6% during the third quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 155 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on LNG shares. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Cheniere Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $274.00 to $271.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $283.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $284.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Cheniere Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $264.24.

Cheniere Energy Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE LNG opened at $220.19 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $47.39 billion, a PE ratio of 12.27 and a beta of 0.27. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $186.20 and a 52 week high of $246.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $200.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $217.20.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th will be given a dividend of $0.555 per share. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 6th. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.37%.

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.