Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) Hits New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $44.09 and last traded at $43.98, with a volume of 236786 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $42.32.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Fearnley Fonds downgraded shares of Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Golar LNG from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Golar LNG to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.13.

Golar LNG Trading Down 0.8 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $39.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.96. The company has a market cap of $4.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 310.74 and a beta of 0.61.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.30%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. Golar LNG’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 714.34%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GLNG. Beck Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Golar LNG by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. Beck Capital Management LLC now owns 75,114 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $2,355,000 after purchasing an additional 558 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Golar LNG by 105.1% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,372 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 703 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Golar LNG in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in shares of Golar LNG by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 35,580 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,115,000 after acquiring an additional 992 shares during the last quarter. Finally, O Brien Greene & Co. Inc lifted its position in Golar LNG by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc now owns 60,000 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,881,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.