Retirement Systems of Alabama Has $3.87 Million Holdings in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)

Retirement Systems of Alabama decreased its position in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 75,348 shares of the casino operator’s stock after selling 2,137 shares during the quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama’s holdings in Las Vegas Sands were worth $3,870,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. ARGA Investment Management LP raised its position in Las Vegas Sands by 32.0% in the 4th quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP now owns 6,501,382 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $333,911,000 after buying an additional 1,577,042 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. grew its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 272.2% during the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 6,436 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 4,707 shares in the last quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 128.7% in the fourth quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 387,453 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $19,900,000 after purchasing an additional 218,008 shares during the last quarter. Osborne Partners Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Osborne Partners Capital Management LLC now owns 104,404 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $5,362,000 after purchasing an additional 1,363 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Las Vegas Sands by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 14,042 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $721,000 after purchasing an additional 636 shares during the last quarter. 39.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Las Vegas Sands

In other news, CEO Robert G. Goldstein sold 60,187 shares of Las Vegas Sands stock in a transaction on Friday, November 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.02, for a total transaction of $3,191,114.74. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.91% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Las Vegas Sands Price Performance

NYSE:LVS opened at $41.66 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $30.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.08. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $49.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.89. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a one year low of $36.62 and a one year high of $56.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.09, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The casino operator reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by ($0.04). Las Vegas Sands had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 43.76%. Equities analysts expect that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Las Vegas Sands Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This is a boost from Las Vegas Sands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Macquarie boosted their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $51.00 price target (down from $54.00) on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Las Vegas Sands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $60.00 to $69.00 in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $66.00 to $62.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Las Vegas Sands currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.58.

Las Vegas Sands 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.