Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) Sees Large Volume Increase – What’s Next?

Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Monday . 2,265,243 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 86% from the previous session’s volume of 1,219,820 shares.The stock last traded at $40.02 and had previously closed at $37.76.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on GLNG shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Golar LNG to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday. DNB Markets cut Golar LNG from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Fearnley Fonds raised Golar LNG from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Golar LNG from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.13.

Golar LNG Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $4.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 290.81 and a beta of 0.78. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $38.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.45.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 11th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.46%. Golar LNG’s dividend payout ratio is presently 208.33%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in Golar LNG during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in shares of Golar LNG during the fourth quarter worth $61,000. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich acquired a new position in shares of Golar LNG during the fourth quarter worth $107,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 116.8% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,975 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 1,603 shares during the last quarter. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in Golar LNG in the fourth quarter valued at $141,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.21% of the company’s stock.

About Golar LNG

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.