Short Interest in Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) Rises By 33.1%

Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 3,140,000 shares, a growth of 33.1% from the November 15th total of 2,360,000 shares. Currently, 3.4% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,280,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GLNG. De Lisle Partners LLP raised its holdings in shares of Golar LNG by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP now owns 249,390 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $9,169,000 after acquiring an additional 20,890 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund grew its position in Golar LNG by 467.9% in 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 acquiring an additional 1,843,100 shares in the last quarter. Murchinson Ltd. acquired a new position in Golar LNG in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,301,000. Royce & Associates LP grew its position in Golar LNG by 102.5% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 81,000 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $2,978,000 after acquiring an additional 41,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp grew its position in Golar LNG by 21.8% in the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 639,813 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $23,520,000 after acquiring an additional 114,531 shares in the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Golar LNG Stock Performance

NASDAQ GLNG traded down $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $43.48. The stock had a trading volume of 1,234,095 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,219,009. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.55. Golar LNG has a 52-week low of $19.94 and a 52-week high of $44.04. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $38.34 and a 200 day moving average of $34.42. The stock has a market cap of $4.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 310.57 and a beta of 0.61.

Golar LNG Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.30%. Golar LNG’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 714.29%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on GLNG shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Golar LNG to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Fearnley Fonds downgraded Golar LNG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Golar LNG presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.