Metis Global Partners LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG)

Metis Global Partners LLC raised its position in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) by 9.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,996 shares of the shipping company’s stock after acquiring an additional 534 shares during the quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Golar LNG were worth $254,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in Golar LNG in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in Golar LNG in the 4th quarter valued at about $61,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Golar LNG by 116.8% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,975 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $126,000 after acquiring an additional 1,603 shares in the last quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. acquired a new position in Golar LNG in the 4th quarter valued at about $200,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Golar LNG in the 4th quarter valued at about $214,000. 92.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Golar LNG Stock Down 7.4 %

Shares of GLNG opened at $33.07 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $40.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $38.24. The company has a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 236.23 and a beta of 0.55. Golar LNG Limited has a 52-week low of $20.96 and a 52-week high of $44.36.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 11th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.02%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 11th. Golar LNG’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 208.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on GLNG shares. StockNews.com raised Golar LNG to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Golar LNG from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Fearnley Fonds downgraded Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, DNB Markets downgraded Golar LNG from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Golar LNG currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.13.

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.