Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Takes $186,000 Position in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)

Key Points

• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise has acquired 4,823 shares in Las Vegas Sands Corp., valued at approximately $186,000, marking the fund's first position in the casino operator's stock.
• Las Vegas Sands reported a strong earnings performance with $0.79 earnings per share, surpassing analysts' estimates, and revenue of $3.18 billion for the last quarter.
• The company announced a stock buyback plan authorizing $2.00 billion in repurchases, indicating confidence from the board in the undervaluation of its shares.

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 4,823 shares of the casino operator's stock, valued at approximately $186,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of LVS. Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 1st quarter worth approximately $42,000. Huntington National Bank increased its holdings in Las Vegas Sands by 64.1% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,142 shares of the casino operator's stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 446 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Las Vegas Sands by 133.1% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,499 shares of the casino operator's stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 856 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 104.7% in the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 1,775 shares of the casino operator's stock worth $91,000 after acquiring an additional 908 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 39.16% of the company's stock.

Las Vegas Sands Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of LVS stock traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $52.82. 1,876,904 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,753,651. The stock has a market cap of $36.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.08. The stock's fifty day moving average is $46.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.48. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a 52-week low of $30.18 and a 52-week high of $56.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.53, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.21.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 23rd. The casino operator reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.83 billion. Las Vegas Sands had a net margin of 12.16% and a return on equity of 55.37%. The business's revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.55 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.6 EPS for the current year.

Las Vegas Sands announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, April 23rd that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the casino operator to repurchase up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Las Vegas Sands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 5th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Las Vegas Sands's payout ratio is presently 50.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $59.00 to $58.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a report on Monday, July 7th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $52.00 price target for the company. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $52.50 to $58.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $58.33.

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.