Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Acquires New Shares in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 857 shares of the shipping company’s stock, valued at approximately $32,000.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of GLNG. De Lisle Partners LLP boosted its position 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 buying an additional 20,890 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its position in Golar LNG by 467.9% during the third quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 2,237,000 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $82,232,000 after acquiring an additional 1,843,100 shares during the last quarter. Murchinson Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Golar LNG in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,301,000. Royce & Associates LP increased its stake in shares of Golar LNG by 102.5% during the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 81,000 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $2,978,000 after purchasing an additional 41,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Golar LNG by 21.8% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 639,813 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $23,520,000 after purchasing an additional 114,531 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.21% of the company’s stock.

Golar LNG Price Performance

GLNG stock opened at $41.33 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 295.24 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Golar LNG Limited has a 52-week low of $19.94 and a 52-week high of $44.08. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $38.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.04.

Golar LNG Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 25th. Golar LNG’s payout ratio is 714.29%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on GLNG shares. Fearnley Fonds cut Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. StockNews.com upgraded Golar LNG to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $49.63.

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.