Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) Shares Gap Up on Analyst Upgrade

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Thursday after Macquarie raised their price target on the stock from $57.00 to $58.00. The stock had previously closed at $43.43, but opened at $47.50. Las Vegas Sands shares last traded at $47.56, with a volume of 2,077,564 shares changing hands.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on LVS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $52.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised Las Vegas Sands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $60.00 to $69.00 in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $51.00 price objective (down previously from $54.00) on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $60.25.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Robert G. Goldstein sold 24,324 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.00, for a total transaction of $1,264,848.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 60,187 shares in the company, valued at $3,129,724. This represents a 28.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Robert G. Goldstein sold 60,187 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.02, for a total value of $3,191,114.74. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.91% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Las Vegas Sands

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Las Vegas Sands during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in Las Vegas Sands by 118.8% in the third quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 560 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in 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 during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Las Vegas Sands by 40.1% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 849 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the period. 39.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Las Vegas Sands Trading Up 10.6 %

The company has a market capitalization of $34.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.09. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $49.94 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.70.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The casino operator reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by ($0.04). Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 44.26% and a net margin of 13.29%. Research analysts forecast that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.