Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) CEO Patrick Dumont Sells 60,165 Shares

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) CEO Patrick Dumont sold 60,165 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.75, for a total transaction of $3,294,033.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 511,942 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,028,824.50. This represents a 10.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Las Vegas Sands Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:LVS opened at $54.13 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $56.88 and a 200-day moving average of $58.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.58. The firm has a market cap of $36.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.88. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a twelve month low of $30.18 and a twelve month high of $70.45.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The casino operator reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $3.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.33 billion. Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 91.40% and a net margin of 12.50%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.54 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Las Vegas Sands Corp. 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 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Las Vegas Sands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on LVS. Argus decreased their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $80.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $75.50 to $76.75 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 price target on Las Vegas Sands in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $76.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $75.00 to $72.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $68.55.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Las Vegas Sands

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Total Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 48.0% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 512 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. 39.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Las Vegas Sands

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.