Cheniere Energy (LNG) has a significant first-mover advantage, I argued upon picking this stock for my Jubak Picks portfolio, since it was the first U.S. company to get a unrestricted permit to export liquified natural gas. Turning that advantage into revenue and earnings, however, always depended on Cheniere’s ability to move sales from the spot market to long term contracts.
The company struck two more deals this past week.
First, Cheniere signed a 20-year supply agreement with Korea Gas. Under the deal, Cheniere may ship almost 183 trillion thermal units of liquified natural gas a year to South Korea, representing at least $548 million of revenue. South Korea is the world’s largest buyer of liquified natural gas.
Second, Cheniere has signed a deal to sell liquified natural gas to Lithuania’s state-owned gas trader. This is the first ever direct purchase from the United States by Lithuania, which is trying to diversify its natural gas supply away from a reliance on Russia’s Gazprom.
Shares of Cheniere Energy are up 73.63% since I added them to my Jubak Picks portfolio on June 25, 2013. As of today, June 26, I’m leaving my target price tag at $58 a share.
