Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) Reaches New 52-Week High - Still a Buy?

Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $57.06 and last traded at $56.8260, with a volume of 491398 shares. The stock had previously closed at $56.40.Analyst Ratings Changes3 LNG Stocks to Watch as Iran War ContinuesGLNG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Golar LNG from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. BTIG Research lifted their price target on shares of Golar LNG from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $56.00 price target on Golar LNG in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Zacks Research raised Golar LNG from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $51.13.Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Golar LNGGolar LNG Price PerformanceAre These Liquid Natural Gas Stocks Ready For An Upside Bounce?The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 2.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.79 billion, a PE ratio of 89.27 and a beta of 0.06. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $50.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $43.11. Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The shipping company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter. Golar LNG had a net margin of 16.69% and a return on equity of 6.24%. The business had revenue of $132.81 million for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Golar LNG Limited will post 0.58 EPS for the current year. Golar LNG Announces DividendThe company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. Golar LNG's payout ratio is presently 156.25%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Golar LNGHedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Tejara Capital Ltd grew its holdings in Golar LNG by 44.0% in the third quarter. Tejara Capital Ltd now owns 196,526 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $7,942,000 after purchasing an additional 60,093 shares during the period. Huber Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG by 12.4% during the third quarter. Huber Capital Management LLC now owns 923,718 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $37,327,000 after purchasing an additional 102,200 shares in the last quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Golar LNG in the third quarter valued at $1,179,000. Cinctive Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Golar LNG in the third quarter valued at $4,658,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in Golar LNG during the 3rd quarter worth $56,574,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.21% of the company's stock. About Golar LNG (Get Free Report)Golar LNG Ltd. is a leading owner and operator of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and floating infrastructure. The company specializes in the transportation of LNG on long-term and spot charters for major energy firms around the world. In addition to shipping, Golar LNG has broadened its services to include project development and the conversion of existing carriers into Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) and Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) vessels. Since pioneering the first purpose-built FLNG conversion project, Golar LNG has been at the forefront of offshore gas monetization.Featured ArticlesFive stocks we like better than Golar LNGThis instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.Should You Invest $1,000 in Golar LNG Right Now?Before you consider Golar LNG, you'll want to hear this.MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Golar LNG wasn't on the list.While Golar LNG currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.View The Five Stocks Here