Las Vegas Sands Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:LVS)

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Investors purchased 105,358 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 525% compared to the typical volume of 16,865 call options.

Las Vegas Sands Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of LVS opened at $67.60 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $57.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.34. Las Vegas Sands has a 12 month low of $30.18 and a 12 month high of $68.15. The firm has a market cap of $45.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.59, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.42.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The casino operator reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $3.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.04 billion. Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 73.14% and a net margin of 12.69%.The business’s revenue was up 24.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.44 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Las Vegas Sands will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Las Vegas Sands Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 4th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 4th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.25%.

Insider Transactions at Las Vegas Sands

In related news, CEO Robert G. Goldstein sold 360,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.05, for a total value of $22,698,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP D. Zachary Hudson sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.99, for a total transaction of $6,499,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 13,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $892,637.65. This trade represents a 87.92% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 2,100,000 shares of company stock valued at $126,218,200 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Las Vegas Sands

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 1st quarter worth $183,836,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in Las Vegas Sands by 410.2% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,167,553 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $277,963,000 after purchasing an additional 4,154,753 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands during the second quarter worth about $134,179,000. ARGA Investment Management LP raised its stake in Las Vegas Sands by 36.8% during the second quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP now owns 10,040,975 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $436,883,000 after purchasing an additional 2,698,398 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Las Vegas Sands by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 41,249,208 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $1,593,457,000 after purchasing an additional 2,267,307 shares during the last quarter. 39.16% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on LVS shares. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Barclays lifted their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $59.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $60.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Mizuho raised their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $56.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Las Vegas Sands in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $66.00 price target for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $64.60.

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.