Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Has $14.93 Million Stock Holdings in Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) by 17.2% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 76,812 shares of the energy company’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,270 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Cheniere Energy were worth $14,930,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Cheniere Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased 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 valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Accordant Advisory Group Inc bought a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth $38,000. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cheniere Energy Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of Cheniere Energy stock opened at $248.06 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $51.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.80 and a beta of 0.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55, a current ratio of 0.57 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The business has a 50-day moving average of $264.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $227.78. Cheniere Energy, Inc. has a 1 year low of $186.20 and a 1 year high of $300.89.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The energy company reported ($16.65) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.25 by ($20.90). The company had revenue of $5.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.69 billion. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 38.95%. The company’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Cheniere Energy, Inc. will post 15.2 EPS for the current year.

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the energy company to purchase up to 21.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be given a dividend of $0.555 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 36.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 87,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,143,800. This trade represents a 24.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 64,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,622,720. The trade was a 25.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Cheniere Energy from $338.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Zacks Research raised shares of Cheniere Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Scotiabank restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cheniere Energy has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $293.50.

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.