Continental Advisors LLC Buys 25,000 Shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. $LVS

Key Points

• Continental Advisors LLC increased its stake in Las Vegas Sands Corp. by 35.5%, owning a total of 95,325 shares valued at approximately $3.68 million.
• Analysts have set a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Las Vegas Sands with an average target price of $59.00, reflecting positive sentiment for the stock.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, representing an annualized yield of 1.9% and a payout ratio of 50.51%.

Continental Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS - Free Report) by 35.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 95,325 shares of the casino operator's stock after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the period. Las Vegas Sands accounts for about 2.1% of Continental Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Continental Advisors LLC's holdings in Las Vegas Sands were worth $3,682,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. MBB Public Markets I LLC bought a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the first quarter valued at about $282,000. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the first quarter valued at about $301,000. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the first quarter valued at about $774,000. Sciencast Management LP bought a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the first quarter valued at about $2,851,000. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the first quarter valued at about $4,401,000. Institutional investors own 39.16% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on LVS. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Monday, July 7th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $52.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen raised Las Vegas Sands from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $59.00.

Las Vegas Sands Price Performance

Shares of Las Vegas Sands stock opened at $53.78 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $52.28 and a 200 day moving average of $44.24. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a 12 month low of $30.18 and a 12 month high of $58.05. The firm has a market cap of $36.92 billion, a PE ratio of 27.16, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.53.

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

Las Vegas Sands Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 5th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 5th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Las Vegas Sands's dividend payout ratio is presently 50.51%.

Las Vegas Sands Company 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.

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