Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.18 EPS

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The shipping company reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.18, Zacks reports. Golar LNG had a net margin of 30.10% and a return on equity of 6.80%. The firm had revenue of $137.55 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $129.88 million.

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

GLNG opened at $52.31 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $53.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.64. Golar LNG has a 52-week low of $35.02 and a 52-week high of $57.79. The company has a quick ratio of 2.55, a current ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $5.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.91 and a beta of 0.06.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. Golar LNG’s payout ratio is currently 72.46%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on GLNG shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $67.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Golar LNG from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Pareto Securities downgraded shares of Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $56.70.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,707 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $622,000 after purchasing an additional 359 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG by 12.7% during the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 3,878 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $144,000 after purchasing an additional 436 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG by 2.8% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 17,100 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $704,000 after purchasing an additional 459 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG by 278.2% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 658 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 484 shares in the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG by 1.8% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 33,728 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,389,000 after purchasing an additional 606 shares in the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Golar LNG

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.