Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) Rating Increased to Sell at StockNews.com

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com to a “sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday.

Several other research firms have also commented on GLNG. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Golar LNG from $43.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. B. Riley lifted their target price on Golar LNG from $35.50 to $44.50 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. BTIG Research increased their price target on Golar LNG from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Golar LNG from $55.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Golar LNG currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $45.10.

Golar LNG Price Performance

Shares of Golar LNG stock traded up $1.78 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $34.38. 1,226,911 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,192,022. The business has a fifty day moving average of $33.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $28.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a market capitalization of $3.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.74 and a beta of 0.58. Golar LNG has a 1 year low of $19.94 and a 1 year high of $36.52.

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 15th. The shipping company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $62.98 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.38 million. Golar LNG had a net margin of 50.89% and a return on equity of 9.20%. As a group, research analysts predict that Golar LNG will post 1.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Golar LNG

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in GLNG. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Golar LNG during the 4th quarter worth $23,773,000. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. increased its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 32.0% during the first quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 3,586,994 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $86,303,000 after buying an additional 870,233 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Golar LNG by 53.7% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,732,655 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $54,319,000 after acquiring an additional 605,499 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Golar LNG by 74.4% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,015,644 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $24,436,000 after acquiring an additional 433,299 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Driehaus Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Golar LNG during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $10,554,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.