Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $50.13.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on GLNG shares. Fearnley Fonds downgraded Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Golar LNG from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Golar LNG to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th.

Golar LNG Trading Down 1.1 %

Shares of GLNG opened at $41.38 on Friday. Golar LNG has a fifty-two week low of $19.94 and a fifty-two week high of $44.36. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $40.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $36.41. 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 company has a market capitalization of $4.32 billion, a PE ratio of 295.59 and a beta of 0.59.

Golar LNG Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.42%. Golar LNG’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 714.29%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Golar LNG

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in GLNG. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in Golar LNG during the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Golar LNG by 105.1% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,372 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 703 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Golar LNG in the third quarter valued at about $52,000. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Golar LNG by 830.9% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,657 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 1,479 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Golar LNG by 206.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,727 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 1,163 shares in the last quarter. 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.