Ceredex Value Advisors LLC Makes New $24.41 Million Investment in Las Vegas Sands Corp. $LVS

Key Points

• Ceredex Value Advisors LLC invested approximately $24.41 million in Las Vegas Sands Corp. by acquiring 631,900 shares during the first quarter.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on Las Vegas Sands, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $58.33, indicating potential for growth.
• Las Vegas Sands recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25, translating to an annual yield of 1.8%, with a payout ratio of 50.51%.

Ceredex Value Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 631,900 shares of the casino operator's stock, valued at approximately $24,410,000. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC owned about 0.09% of Las Vegas Sands as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Achmea Investment Management B.V. boosted its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 55.4% during the 1st quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 31,411 shares of the casino operator's stock worth $1,213,000 after purchasing an additional 11,197 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 18.4% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 39,005 shares of the casino operator's stock valued at $1,489,000 after buying an additional 6,057 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 12.4% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,088,597 shares of the casino operator's stock valued at $158,630,000 after buying an additional 339,992 shares during the period. Ground Swell Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the first quarter worth approximately $225,000. Finally, Everett Harris & Co. CA acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the first quarter worth approximately $657,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 39.16% of the company's stock.

Las Vegas Sands Trading Up 1.8%

NYSE LVS traded up $1.00 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $57.70. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,126,381 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,938,343. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.08. 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 Corp. has a 52-week low of $30.18 and a 52-week high of $57.74. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $50.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $43.62.

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

Las Vegas Sands Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 5th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 5th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Las Vegas Sands's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Las Vegas Sands from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Argus upgraded Las Vegas Sands from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $60.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Barclays lifted their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 24th. Finally, Susquehanna cut their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $59.00 to $58.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $59.00.

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.