Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) posted its earnings results on Wednesday. The casino operator reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.13, Briefing.com reports. Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 41.81% and a net margin of 13.99%. The firm had revenue of $2.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.94 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.28 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 34.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Las Vegas Sands Stock Performance

NYSE:LVS opened at $45.88 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $52.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $49.60. The company has a market cap of $34.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96. Las Vegas Sands has a 52 week low of $43.77 and a 52 week high of $65.58.

Las Vegas Sands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 6th were paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 5th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.74%. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.65%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LVS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup raised their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $60.00 to $59.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $66.00 to $62.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $64.47.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Robert G. Goldstein sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.06, for a total transaction of $5,206,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 172,801 shares in the company, valued at $8,996,020.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.91% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Las Vegas Sands

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vestor Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 175.2% in the second quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 2,356 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $137,000 after buying an additional 1,500 shares during the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter valued at about $113,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter valued at about $112,000. LM Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter valued at about $111,000. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 16.4% in the fourth quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,560 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. 39.16% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Las Vegas Sands

Las Vegas Sands Corp., together with its subsidiaries, develops, owns, and operates integrated resorts in Macao and Singapore. It owns and operates The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, the Londoner Macao, The Parisian Macao, The Plaza Macao and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip, and the Sands Macao in Macao, the People's Republic of China; and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.