Golar LNG Limited GLNG is bolstered by a strong liquidity position. The shareholder-friendly approach is praiseworthy. The growing floating LNG (FLNG) or liquefied natural gas market is a huge tailwind for the company. However, elevated operating expenses are hurting the company’s bottom line.

Factors Favoring GLNG

Golar LNG is the sole provider of FLNG as a service. GLNG ranks first in terms of FLNG capacity. The FLNG market is growing due to its economic viability and is expected to display significant capacity growth, particularly in Africa and North America. Given the bright prospects associated with FLNG, the company’s decision to enhance its FLNG capabilities is highly prudent.

In the third quarter of 2024, Golar signed an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) agreement with CIMC Raffles for its first 3.5mtpa (Million Tons Per Annum) MKII FLNG (Mark II FLNG), with a budget of $2.2 billion, and expects delivery in the fourth quarter of 2027. The company has also secured an option for a second unit by 2028. GLNG’s early access to shipyard slots provides a competitive edge in a tight global market. With plans to secure a charter for the MKII by 2025 and then pursue debt financing afterward, Golar is taking a strategic approach to ensure project success and reduce financial risk.

Golar’s commitment to rewarding its shareholders through dividends and buybacks is commendable. In 2023, the company paid more than $168 million in dividends and share buybacks. GLNG’s board of directors approved a third-quarter 2024 dividend of $0.25 per share to be paid on or around Dec. 2, 2024. The record date will be Nov. 25, 2024. $74.1 million of the approved share buyback scheme of $150.0 million remains available.

The company exited the third quarter of 2024 with a robust liquidity position, holding approximately $732 million in cash and cash equivalents and a net debt of $646 million. The company reported a current ratio of 1.55 at the September-end quarter, which is favorable as a current ratio above 1 indicates that the company has sufficient cash to meet its debt obligations.

Owing to such tailwinds, GLNG shares have surged 103.4% over the past year compared with the industry’s 22.2% growth.

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GLNG: Key Risks to Watch

The northward movement in operating expenses hurts Golar LNG’s bottom line, challenging its financial stability. The surge in operating expenses was primarily caused by inflationary pressure. In the third quarter of 2024, total operating expenses rose 18.5% compared with third-quarter 2023 actuals.

Vessel operating expenses, accounting for 56.2% of the total operating expenses, rose 29% year over year.

GLNG’s Zacks Rank

GLNG currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks from the Zacks Transportation sector are Expeditors International of Washington EXPD and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services ZIM.

Expeditors International of Washington currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company's earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters (missed the mark in the remaining quarter), delivering an average surprise of 4.75%. Shares of EXPD have risen 0.5% so far this year.

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company's earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters (missed the mark in the remaining quarter), delivering an average surprise of 12.62%.

Shares of ZIM have surged 168.2% so far this year. The Red Sea crisis-induced high freight rates, a focus on niche markets and a shareholder-friendly approach bode well for ZIM.

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