Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) Stock

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) had its target price lifted by Morgan Stanley from $66.00 to $67.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the casino operator’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target indicates a potential upside of 23.11% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Citigroup upped their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $75.50 to $76.75 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $80.00 to $73.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $61.00 price target (down from $72.00) on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Monday. Finally, HSBC upped their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $67.50 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $67.92.

Las Vegas Sands Price Performance

Shares of LVS stock opened at $54.43 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.58, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.14. Las Vegas Sands has a 52 week low of $30.71 and a 52 week high of $70.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.12 billion, a PE ratio of 23.26, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.89. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $55.20 and its 200-day moving average is $58.76.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The casino operator reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.08. Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 91.40% and a net margin of 12.50%.The business had revenue of $3.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.54 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Las Vegas Sands will post 2.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Las Vegas Sands

In other news, CEO Patrick Dumont sold 60,165 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.75, for a total transaction of $3,294,033.75. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 511,942 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,028,824.50. This trade represents a 10.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Las Vegas Sands

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LVS. Total Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Las Vegas Sands by 48.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 512 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 39.16% of the company’s stock.

Las Vegas Sands Company Profile

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) is a global developer and operator of integrated resorts, focused on large-scale properties that combine casino gaming with hotels, convention and exhibition facilities, retail, dining, and entertainment. The company’s operations center on developing and managing full-service resort complexes that serve both leisure and business travelers, with emphasis on convention and trade-show business in addition to gaming revenue streams.

The company’s portfolio has included prominent properties in North America and Asia, most notably The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, along with a significant presence in Macau through multiple integrated resorts.