Golar LNG Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:GLNG)

Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Get Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors purchased 5,445 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 88% compared to the average volume of 2,903 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Fearnley Fonds raised shares of Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. 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 research note on Tuesday, December 24th. DNB Markets downgraded Golar LNG from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Golar LNG to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Golar LNG currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.13.

Golar LNG Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:GLNG traded down $0.54 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $37.76. The company had a trading volume of 2,166,858 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,214,555. Golar LNG has a 12-month low of $23.45 and a 12-month high of $44.36. The company has a fifty day moving average of $38.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.45. The company has a market cap of $3.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 269.73 and a beta of 0.78.

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Golar LNG Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.65%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. Golar LNG's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 208.33%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Golar LNG

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Golar LNG during the third quarter valued at about $32,000. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new position in Golar LNG during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $61,000. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich bought a new stake in Golar LNG in the 4th quarter worth approximately $107,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Golar LNG by 116.8% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,975 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $126,000 after acquiring an additional 1,603 shares in the last quarter. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Golar LNG during the 4th quarter worth approximately $141,000. 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.