Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC Takes Position in Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX)

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 5,264 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $333,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James & Associates lifted its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 22,510 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,762,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 56.1% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 484 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 37.4% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 713 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 7,700 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $465,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 7.3% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 3,425 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $268,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the period. 92.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Southwest Gas Stock Performance

SWX opened at $73.15 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $69.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.65. Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $53.79 and a 1-year high of $76.75. The company has a market cap of $5.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.50, a PEG ratio of 3.54 and a beta of 0.36.

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 28th. The utilities provider reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.16. Southwest Gas had a net margin of 2.78% and a return on equity of 7.28%. The firm had revenue of $1.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.27 billion. On average, analysts expect that Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. will post 3.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southwest Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.39%. Southwest Gas’s payout ratio is 116.98%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on SWX. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Southwest Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 27th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Southwest Gas from $64.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th.

Southwest Gas 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.