Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS - Free Report) had its target price increased by Morgan Stanley from $45.00 to $47.00 in a research report released on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the casino operator's stock.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on LVS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $47.00 price target for the company. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $58.00 to $53.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $57.00 target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Macquarie decreased their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $58.00 to $52.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Mizuho set a $47.00 price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $55.31.

Las Vegas Sands Price Performance

Shares of LVS traded down $0.71 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $49.81. 3,400,948 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,866,697. The company has a market cap of $35.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.58. The company's 50-day moving average price is $42.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $42.24. Las Vegas Sands has a 52-week low of $30.18 and a 52-week high of $56.61.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The casino operator reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.60 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $2.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.95 billion. Las Vegas Sands had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 44.91%. Las Vegas Sands's revenue was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.78 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Las Vegas Sands will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Las Vegas Sands Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 6th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 6th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.01%. Las Vegas Sands's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 55.56%.

Las Vegas Sands announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 23rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the casino operator to purchase up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Las Vegas Sands

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Optiver Holding B.V. bought a new stake in Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its holdings in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 37.5% in the 2nd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 876 shares of the casino operator's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 239 shares during the last quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 1st quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 4th quarter worth about $56,000. Institutional investors own 39.16% of the company's stock.

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.