Analysts Set Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) Price Target at $59.42

Shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $59.42.

LVS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $64.50 to $67.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Macquarie increased their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating 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 increased their price objective for the company from $60.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th.

Las Vegas Sands Price Performance

Shares of LVS opened at $43.11 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $30.87 billion, a PE ratio of 21.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.35, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.74. Las Vegas Sands has a fifty-two week low of $36.62 and a fifty-two week high of $56.61. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $44.64 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $47.65.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The casino operator reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by ($0.04). Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 45.82% and a net margin of 12.80%. Analysts anticipate that Las Vegas Sands will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Las Vegas Sands Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This is an increase from Las Vegas Sands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.32%. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.76%.

Institutional Trading of Las Vegas Sands

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the third quarter worth $26,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased 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 purchasing an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the third quarter worth $34,000. 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.