Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.13 EPS

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

Las Vegas Sands Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LVS opened at $45.46 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $52.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $49.59. The company has a market cap of $34.15 billion, a PE ratio of 21.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.16. Las Vegas Sands has a 12-month low of $43.77 and a 12-month high of $65.58.

Las Vegas Sands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 7th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 6th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.65%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on LVS shares. Mizuho cut their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup raised their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com raised Las Vegas Sands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Barclays lowered their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $60.00 to $59.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $64.47.

Insider Transactions at Las Vegas Sands

In other news, CEO Robert G. Goldstein sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 15th. The stock was 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 directly 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 this link. Insiders own 0.91% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Las Vegas Sands

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LVS. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Las Vegas Sands by 13.9% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 46,767 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $1,818,000 after purchasing an additional 5,716 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in Las Vegas Sands by 17.1% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 13,612 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $529,000 after purchasing an additional 1,985 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 6.9% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 33,282 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $1,294,000 after acquiring an additional 2,145 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC lifted its position in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 26.7% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 13,502 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $525,000 after acquiring an additional 2,848 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 47.6% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 27,000 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $1,050,000 after acquiring an additional 8,711 shares during the last quarter. 39.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.