California Public Employees Retirement System Reduces Holdings in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)

California Public Employees Retirement System lowered its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) by 7.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 599,451 shares of the casino operator’s stock after selling 49,044 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned about 0.08% of Las Vegas Sands worth $30,788,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake 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. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new position in Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Las Vegas Sands by 63.0% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 885 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 342 shares during the period. 39.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Las Vegas Sands Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LVS opened at $39.04 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.35, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market cap of $27.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.07. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $43.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.74. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $36.62 and a fifty-two week high of $56.61.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last issued 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 net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 45.82%. On average, analysts expect that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Las Vegas Sands Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This is an increase from Las Vegas Sands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.76%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $60.00 to $59.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $51.00 to $49.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 24th. Barclays cut their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Macquarie increased their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Las Vegas Sands presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.42.

Las Vegas Sands 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.