Cheniere Energy Surpasses Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Financial Performance - Cheniere Energy reported a fourth-quarter 2024 adjusted profit of $4.33 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of$2.69, driven by strong LNG shipments of 606 TBtu, surpassing the consensus mark of 582 TBtu [1] - Revenues totaled $4.4 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by$31 million, but decreased by 8% from the previous year's $4.8 billion [3] - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA was$1.57 billion, down 4.4% from the year-ago quarter due to moderating international gas prices and a higher share of LNG sold under long-term contracts [5] - Distributable cash flow (DCF) was reported at $1.1 billion, with 167 cargoes shipped compared to 169 in the previous year [6] Cost and Balance Sheet - Total costs and expenses for the fourth quarter amounted to$2.7 billion, an increase of 12.9% from the prior-year quarter [7] - As of December 31, 2024, Cheniere had approximately $2.6 billion in cash and cash equivalents, with net long-term debt of$22.6 billion and a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 69.2% [7] Future Guidance - The company expects consolidated adjusted EBITDA in the range of $6.5 billion to$7 billion for 2025 and anticipates DCF between $4.1 billion and$4.6 billion [8] Project Updates - The Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project operates six natural gas liquefaction trains with a total production capacity of approximately 30 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) [9] - The SPL Expansion Project is being developed with an anticipated production capacity of up to 20 mtpa, with applications submitted for site approval and export authorization [10][11] - The CCL Stage 3 Project is advancing with a total projected production capacity exceeding 10 mtpa, with the first LNG production achieved in December 2024 [12][13] - The CCL Midscale Trains 8 & 9 Project is under development, expected to have a production capacity of approximately 3 mtpa, with regulatory approvals anticipated in 2025 [14][15]