Investors Purchase High Volume of Cheniere Energy Put Options (NYSE:LNG)

Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE:LNG) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Traders bought 16,352 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 266% compared to the average daily volume of 4,470 put options.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

NYSE LNG traded down $1.41 on Friday, reaching $252.44. The stock had a trading volume of 2,338,612 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,840,827. The stock has a market cap of $53.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.39 and a beta of 0.25. Cheniere Energy has a 12-month low of $186.20 and a 12-month high of $259.24. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $218.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $217.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.94.

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $10.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.90 by $6.78. Cheniere Energy had a net margin of 26.68% and a return on equity of 32.04%. The business had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.48 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.33 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Cheniere Energy will post 11.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Cheniere Energy announced that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the energy company to purchase up to 21.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Cheniere Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued a $0.555 dividend. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. Cheniere Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 9.14%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $236.00 target price on shares of Cheniere Energy and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Cheniere Energy from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Citigroup cut their price target on Cheniere Energy from $283.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 12th. Wolfe Research set a $220.00 price objective on Cheniere Energy and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $277.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.39.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in Cheniere Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Cheniere Energy during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Strive Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.26% of the company’s stock.

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.