Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Sells 58,259 Shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Free Report) by 16.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 300,738 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 58,259 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 0.29% of Golar LNG worth $12,727,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Golar LNG during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,165,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in Golar LNG in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,981,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Golar LNG by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 26,694 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $981,000 after acquiring an additional 1,360 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its stake in Golar LNG by 467.9% during the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 2,237,000 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $82,232,000 after purchasing an additional 1,843,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, De Lisle Partners LLP increased its holdings in shares of Golar LNG by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP now owns 249,390 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $9,169,000 after purchasing an additional 20,890 shares in the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Golar LNG Trading Down 0.8 %

GLNG stock traded down $0.32 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $40.35. 1,579,370 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,227,619. Golar LNG Limited has a 52-week low of $23.45 and a 52-week high of $44.36. The stock has a market cap of $4.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 288.23 and a beta of 0.78. The stock's 50-day moving average is $38.83 and its 200 day moving average is $38.51.

Golar LNG Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 11th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.48%. Golar LNG's dividend payout ratio is currently 208.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on GLNG shares. Fearnley Fonds raised Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Golar LNG to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Golar LNG from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, DNB Markets downgraded shares of Golar LNG from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.13.

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.