Candriam S.C.A. Boosts Stock Position in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)

Candriam S.C.A. grew its stake in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) by 8.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 25,146 shares of the casino operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,890 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Las Vegas Sands were worth $1,291,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Las Vegas Sands in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 73.5% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 583 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 39.16% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Las Vegas Sands Stock Performance

Shares of LVS opened at $44.99 on Monday. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a 52 week low of $36.62 and a 52 week high of $56.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.35. The stock has a market cap of $32.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.84, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.07. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $45.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.53.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The casino operator reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by ($0.04). Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 45.82% and a net margin of 12.80%. On average, analysts expect that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.6 EPS for the current year.

Las Vegas Sands Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This is a positive change from Las Vegas Sands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays decreased their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Las Vegas Sands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $60.00 to $69.00 in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $51.00 to $49.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $66.00 to $62.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.42.

Las Vegas Sands Company 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.