Citigroup Issues Positive Forecast for Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) Stock Price

Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) had its price target hoisted by research analysts at Citigroup from $280.00 to $330.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the energy company’s stock. Citigroup’s price target points to a potential upside of 17.49% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on LNG. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $280.00 to $271.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Cheniere Energy from $276.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Cheniere Energy from $265.00 to $306.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Cheniere Energy in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Cheniere Energy from $259.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $287.24.

Cheniere Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Cheniere Energy stock traded up $5.04 during trading on Thursday, hitting $280.88. 1,881,532 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,797,091. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $239.82 and a 200-day moving average price of $221.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.56 and a beta of 0.13. Cheniere Energy has a 1-year low of $186.20 and a 1-year high of $300.89.

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

Cheniere Energy announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the energy company to reacquire up to 21.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Cheniere Energy

In other Cheniere Energy news, EVP Sean N. Markowitz sold 22,246 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 64,000 shares in the company, valued at $18,622,720. This represents a 25.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $8,700,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 87,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,143,800. The trade was a 24.97% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cheniere Energy

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LNG. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Cheniere Energy by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,219,557 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $4,124,870,000 after acquiring an additional 414,022 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,174,695 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $1,200,299,000 after purchasing an additional 167,622 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $731,774,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Cheniere Energy by 12.5% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,279,078 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $443,031,000 after purchasing an additional 253,469 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Cheniere Energy by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,263,826 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $440,047,000 after buying an additional 134,695 shares in the last quarter. 87.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Cheniere Energy News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Cheniere Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on Cheniere to $330 (from $280) and kept a Buy rating, reinforcing bullish analyst sentiment and helping push the stock toward new highs. Citi upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Operational milestone: Cheniere announced substantial completion of Train 5 at Corpus Christi LNG Stage 3, supporting near‑term capacity growth and potential revenue upside as global supply tightens. Train 5 completion
• Positive Sentiment: Macro tailwinds: Reuters and other outlets report U.S. LNG exports at record highs as the Iran war disrupts Middle East supply, bolstering demand and pricing for U.S. exporters like Cheniere. This market backdrop is a key driver for the stock’s strength. US LNG exports record
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/press coverage is broadly bullish on energy names and highlights Cheniere as a top domestic beneficiary, but several commentaries note much of the upside may already be reflected in the share price. Valuation caution
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP Sean Markowitz sold 22,246 shares at ~$290.98 on Mar 26, reducing his holding by ~25.8% — a large, disclosed sale that can be viewed negatively by some investors. Markowitz Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Zach Davis sold 29,000 shares at $300.00 on Mar 30, cutting his stake by ~25% — another significant insider sale that may raise governance or timing questions for some investors. Davis Form 4

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.