Cheniere Raises 2026 Guidance and Lifts Dividend More Than 12%

Cheniere Energy raised its 2026 financial guidance again and lifted its quarterly dividend by more than 12% on Thursday, after third-quarter revenue rose to $6.17 billion on higher liquefied natural gas exports.

The Houston-based LNG exporter now expects 2026 consolidated adjusted EBITDA of $8.75 billion to $9.25 billion, up from $7.90 billion to $8.40 billion, according to the earnings release it filed with an 8-K on Thursday. It raised its distributable cash flow forecast to $6.05 billion to $6.55 billion, from $5.30 billion to $5.80 billion.

More cargoes, better margins

Revenue climbed to $6.17 billion from $4.44 billion a year earlier. Net income attributable to Cheniere rose to $1.17 billion from approximately $1.0 billion, and consolidated adjusted EBITDA increased to $1.90 billion. Distributable cash flow was about $1.23 billion.

Cheniere exported 188 cargoes in the quarter, compared with 163 a year earlier, and export volumes rose to 684 trillion British thermal units from 586. The company attributed the profit gains to higher volumes and higher margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered, along with lower income tax provisions.

In August, Cheniere reached substantial completion of the seventh and final midscale train of its Corpus Christi Stage 3 project, ahead of the guaranteed schedule and within budget, expanding its LNG production capacity by more than 20%. It also exported its 5,000th cargo from its Gulf Coast operations that month.

"Our outstanding results and improved outlook enable us to further raise our guidance ranges for 2026," Chairman, President and CEO Jack Fusco said in the release.

Dividend hike and buybacks

The board declared a quarterly dividend of 62.5 cents a share, up from the 55.5 cents paid in the third quarter. It is payable Nov. 17 to shareholders of record on Nov. 9.

During the quarter, Cheniere deployed about $1.5 billion under its capital allocation plan. That included repurchasing about 2.8 million shares for roughly $731 million, paying about $114 million in dividends, investing about $740 million of growth capital and repaying about $54 million of debt.

By the numbers

• Revenue: $6.17 billion
• Net income: $1.17 billion
• Consolidated adjusted EBITDA: $1.90 billion
• LNG cargoes exported: 188
• 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance: $8.75 billion to $9.25 billion
• New quarterly dividend: $0.625 a share

New contracts and expansion steps

In October, Cheniere's Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi liquefaction units signed long-term agreements with QatarEnergy to supply up to 4 million tonnes per annum of LNG from the early 2030s through 2054, with 1 mtpa contingent on a positive final investment decision for the first phase of the Sabine Pass expansion. In September, Cheniere Marketing agreed to supply Petrobras with 0.8 mtpa for 22 years.

Federal regulators issued a final environmental impact statement for the Sabine Pass expansion in September, and Cheniere obtained commitments for a term loan sized to cover about half the estimated cost of its first phase, subject to a positive final investment decision.

S&P Global Ratings upgraded Cheniere Corpus Christi Holdings to A- from BBB+ in October.

Sources

1. Cheniere Energy Form 8-K with third-quarter 2026 earnings release (Exhibit 99.1), filed Oct. 29, 2026 (accession 0000003570-26-000040)

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