Clearbridge Investments LLC Boosts Holdings in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)

Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its holdings in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 629,182 shares of the casino operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,200 shares during the quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned 0.08% of Las Vegas Sands worth $30,962,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 182.9% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 698,686 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $34,264,000 after acquiring an additional 451,710 shares during the period. DNB Asset Management AS grew its stake in Las Vegas Sands by 50.4% during the 4th quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 672,905 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $33,114,000 after acquiring an additional 225,351 shares in the last quarter. AM Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,076,000. Stableford Capital II LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,936,000. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $386,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 39.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on LVS. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Las Vegas Sands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 18th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 18th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Las Vegas Sands presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $63.46.

Las Vegas Sands Trading Down 2.3 %

NYSE LVS opened at $44.80 on Friday. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a 12 month low of $43.77 and a 12 month high of $61.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.29. The company has a market capitalization of $33.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.18. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $48.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.58.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 17th. The casino operator reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.13. Las Vegas Sands had a net margin of 13.99% and a return on equity of 42.34%. The firm had revenue of $2.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.28 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 34.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Las Vegas Sands Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 7th were given a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 6th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.65%.

Insider Activity at Las Vegas Sands

In other Las Vegas Sands news, CEO Robert G. Goldstein sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 172,801 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,996,020.06. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.91% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Las Vegas Sands Profile

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.