Analysts Set Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) PT at $51.13

Shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $56.70.

Several brokerages have weighed in on GLNG. Wall Street Zen raised Golar LNG from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research note on Thursday. Pareto Securities cut Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $56.00 price objective on Golar LNG in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $67.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG in a research note on Wednesday.

Golar LNG Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of GLNG stock opened at $52.36 on Tuesday. Golar LNG has a 12-month low of $35.02 and a 12-month high of $57.79. The company has a current ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $53.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $44.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.94 and a beta of 0.06.

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 26th. The shipping company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Golar LNG had a return on equity of 6.86% and a net margin of 30.10%.The firm had revenue of $137.55 million for the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Golar LNG will post 0.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Golar LNG Announces Dividend

The business 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 of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. Golar LNG’s payout ratio is presently 72.46%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Golar LNG

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GLNG. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 484 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 108.5% during the first quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 515 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 281.9% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 909 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 671 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new position in shares of Golar LNG during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 94.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,356 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 657 shares during the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.