Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Sells 72,613 Shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. $LVS

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lowered its stake in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) by 35.2% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 133,675 shares of the casino operator’s stock after selling 72,613 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Las Vegas Sands were worth $7,202,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA acquired a new position in Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in Las Vegas Sands by 182.4% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 672 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 434 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its position in Las Vegas Sands by 254.8% in the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 557 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. 39.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Las Vegas Sands Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of LVS opened at $48.26 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $31.26 billion, a PE ratio of 18.78, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.83. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a 12 month low of $44.21 and a 12 month high of $70.45. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $48.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $52.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.27.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The casino operator reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by ($0.17). The company had revenue of $3.15 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.31 billion. Las Vegas Sands had a net margin of 12.59% and a return on equity of 133.90%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 3.13 EPS for the current year.

Las Vegas Sands Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 4th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 4th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.69%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on LVS shares. UBS Group set a $52.00 price target on Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $70.00 to $60.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 20th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $63.00 to $59.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Seaport Research Partners decreased their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $72.00 to $69.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $61.88.

Las Vegas Sands Company Profile

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) is a global developer and operator of integrated resorts, focused on large-scale properties that combine casino gaming with hotels, convention and exhibition facilities, retail, dining, and entertainment. The company’s operations center on developing and managing full-service resort complexes that serve both leisure and business travelers, with emphasis on convention and trade-show business in addition to gaming revenue streams.

The company’s portfolio has included prominent properties in North America and Asia, most notably The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, along with a significant presence in Macau through multiple integrated resorts.