Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG) Short Interest Up 40.9% in December

by · The Cerbat Gem

Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG – Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 69,437,085 shares, an increase of 40.9% from the November 30th total of 49,273,695 shares. Approximately 21.4% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 12,227,495 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.7 days. Based on an average trading volume of 12,227,495 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.7 days. Approximately 21.4% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VG has been the subject of several research reports. US Capital Advisors raised Venture Global to a “moderate sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Venture Global from $16.00 to $10.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Zacks Research downgraded Venture Global from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. Mizuho reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $12.00 price objective (down previously from $17.00) on shares of Venture Global in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Capital One Financial initiated coverage on shares of Venture Global in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $11.00 target price on the stock. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $14.25.

View Our Latest Research Report on VG

Venture Global Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE VG traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $7.01. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 8,821,888 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,461,190. Venture Global has a 12-month low of $5.72 and a 12-month high of $25.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.46. The firm has a market cap of $17.16 billion and a P/E ratio of 8.99. The business’s 50 day moving average is $7.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.76.

Venture Global (NYSE:VG – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The company reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.22 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $3.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.23 billion. Venture Global had a net margin of 21.99% and a return on equity of 29.55%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 259.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Venture Global will post 0.52 EPS for the current year.

Venture Global Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.017 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Venture Global’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.97%.

Insider Transactions at Venture Global

In other news, insider Thomas Earl sold 1,000,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.89, for a total transaction of $6,890,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Fory Musser sold 776,298 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.06, for a total value of $6,256,961.88. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 3,000,000 shares of company stock worth $22,904,729 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 86.73% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Venture Global

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Venture Global by 147.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,862,372 shares of the company’s stock worth $324,417,000 after acquiring an additional 13,620,863 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new position in Venture Global in the 2nd quarter worth $76,489,000. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Venture Global during the first quarter worth about $32,099,000. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. purchased a new stake in Venture Global in the first quarter valued at approximately $20,085,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in Venture Global by 171.9% in the 3rd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 460,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,527,000 after buying an additional 1,100,000 shares during the period.

Venture Global Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Venture Global (NYSE: VG) is a Houston-based energy company that develops, constructs and operates large-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities in the United States. The company focuses on converting domestically produced natural gas into LNG for shipment to international markets, positioning itself as a supplier of pipeline-quality gas in vessel-ready form for global customers.

Venture Global’s core activities include site development, engineering and construction of liquefaction and export terminals, commissioning and ongoing operations of those facilities, and commercial marketing of LNG under both long-term and short-term contracts.

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