HughesLittle Investment Management Ltd. Trims Position in Las Vegas Sands Corp. $LVS

Key Points

• HughesLittle Investment Management cut its Las Vegas Sands stake by 25.9% in the first quarter, selling 109,273 shares and leaving it with 313,000 shares valued at about $16.9 million.
• Las Vegas Sands reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $0.91 beating estimates and revenue of $3.58 billion topping forecasts, while revenue rose 25.3% year over year.
• The company paid a $0.30 quarterly dividend recently, equal to an annualized yield of about 2.6%, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $65.19.

HughesLittle Investment Management Ltd. trimmed its holdings in shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS - Free Report) by 25.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 313,000 shares of the casino operator's stock after selling 109,273 shares during the period. Las Vegas Sands makes up about 3.3% of HughesLittle Investment Management Ltd.'s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position. HughesLittle Investment Management Ltd.'s holdings in Las Vegas Sands were worth $16,864,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Grove Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its position in Las Vegas Sands by 254.8% during the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 557 shares of the casino operator's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. 39.16% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Las Vegas Sands Trading Up 1.9%

LVS stock opened at $45.62 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $48.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $53.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.64. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a 52-week low of $44.22 and a 52-week high of $70.45. The firm has a market cap of $30.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.90, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.83.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The casino operator reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.15. Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 118.27% and a net margin of 13.41%.The firm had revenue of $3.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.32 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.59 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 25.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Las Vegas Sands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 5th were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 5th. Las Vegas Sands's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LVS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. UBS Group set a $52.00 target price on Las Vegas Sands in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Seaport Research Partners reduced their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $72.00 to $69.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $73.00 to $63.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Las Vegas Sands has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $65.19.

Las Vegas Sands Profile

Las Vegas Sands NYSE: LVS is a global developer and operator of integrated resorts, focused on large-scale properties that combine casino gaming with hotels, convention and exhibition facilities, retail, dining, and entertainment. The company's operations center on developing and managing full-service resort complexes that serve both leisure and business travelers, with emphasis on convention and trade-show business in addition to gaming revenue streams.

The company's portfolio has included prominent properties in North America and Asia, most notably The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, along with a significant presence in Macau through multiple integrated resorts.

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