Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS - Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $47.00 to $56.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the casino operator's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price objective suggests a potential upside of 10.48% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on LVS. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. Bank of America boosted their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $52.50 to $58.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group increased their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $43.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Mizuho set a $47.00 target price on Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Las Vegas Sands presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $56.43.

Las Vegas Sands Stock Performance

LVS traded up $2.00 on Thursday, hitting $50.69. 7,629,033 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,791,057. Las Vegas Sands has a twelve month low of $30.18 and a twelve month high of $56.60. 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 firm has a market cap of $35.82 billion, a PE ratio of 28.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.03. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $44.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $42.12.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The casino operator reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.26. Las Vegas Sands had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 44.91%. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.83 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.55 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Las Vegas Sands will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Las Vegas Sands announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Wednesday, April 23rd that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the casino operator to buy up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Las Vegas Sands

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 239 shares during the period. RiverFront Investment Group LLC increased its position in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. RiverFront Investment Group LLC now owns 10,257 shares of the casino operator's stock valued at $527,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. MGO One Seven LLC grew its position in Las Vegas Sands by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 7,773 shares of the casino operator's stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 64.1% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,142 shares of the casino operator's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 446 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aviva PLC lifted its stake in Las Vegas Sands by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 35,623 shares of the casino operator's stock worth $1,830,000 after purchasing an additional 457 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.

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