Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.33 EPS

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The utilities provider reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.70 by ($0.33), Briefing.com reports. Southwest Gas had a net margin of 2.78% and a return on equity of 7.28%. The company had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.69 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Southwest Gas Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of SWX traded up $1.21 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $77.00. The company had a trading volume of 333,235 shares, compared to its average volume of 457,761. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $73.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. Southwest Gas has a 1 year low of $55.13 and a 1 year high of $77.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.84, a P/E/G ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.36.

Southwest Gas Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. Southwest Gas's dividend payout ratio is currently 116.98%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Southwest Gas from $64.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th.

Southwest Gas Company Profile

Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, distributes and transports natural gas in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The company operates through Natural Gas Distribution, Utility Infrastructure Services, and Pipeline and Storage segments. It also provides trenching, installation, and replacement of underground pipes, as well as maintenance services for energy distribution systems.