Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) Receives $50.13 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $50.13.

GLNG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Golar LNG to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Golar LNG from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, Fearnley Fonds lowered shares of Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th.

Golar LNG Price Performance

GLNG stock opened at $41.83 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 298.81 and a beta of 0.59. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $39.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $36.26. Golar LNG has a 52-week low of $19.94 and a 52-week high of $44.36.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.39%. Golar LNG’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 714.29%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Golar LNG

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 37.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 218,971 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $8,049,000 after acquiring an additional 59,188 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Golar LNG by 101.6% in the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 38,076 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,400,000 after purchasing an additional 19,189 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in Golar LNG by 431.3% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 185,018 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $6,802,000 after purchasing an additional 150,195 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Golar LNG in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Luxor Capital Group LP purchased a new stake in Golar LNG during the 3rd quarter valued at $10,286,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.21% of the company’s stock.

Golar LNG Company Profile

Golar LNG Limited designs, converts, owns, and operates marine infrastructure for the liquefaction of natural gas. The company operates through three segments: FLNG, Corporate and Other, and Shipping. It engages in the regasification, storage, and offloading of liquefied natural gas (LNG); operation of floating liquefaction natural gas (FLNG) vessels or projects; transportation of LNG carriers; and vessel management activities.