Hartford Investment Management Co. Lowers Stock Position in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)

Hartford Investment Management Co. decreased its holdings in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) by 3.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 21,473 shares of the casino operator’s stock after selling 695 shares during the quarter. Hartford Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Las Vegas Sands were worth $1,103,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the fourth quarter valued at about $75,000. Savant Capital LLC raised its stake in Las Vegas Sands by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 18,404 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $945,000 after acquiring an additional 941 shares during the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the 4th quarter worth approximately $124,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 9.1% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,600 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 45.6% in the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 760 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 39.16% of the company’s stock.

Las Vegas Sands Stock Up 2.8 %

LVS opened at $43.38 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.09, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.90. The company has a market cap of $31.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.02, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.08. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a one year low of $36.62 and a one year high of $56.60. The business’s fifty day moving average is $48.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.85.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The casino operator reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by ($0.04). Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 43.76% and a net margin of 12.80%. Analysts anticipate that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Las Vegas Sands Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This is an increase from Las Vegas Sands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. Las Vegas Sands’s payout ratio is currently 40.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on LVS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $52.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $66.00 to $62.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $55.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.58.

Insider Activity at Las Vegas Sands

In related news, CEO Robert G. Goldstein sold 60,187 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.02, for a total value of $3,191,114.74. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.91% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Las Vegas Sands Company 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.