Principal Financial Group Inc. Grows Holdings in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)

Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) by 10.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 606,755 shares of the casino operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 58,683 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Las Vegas Sands were worth $31,163,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Las Vegas Sands in the third quarter worth $26,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 73.5% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 583 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 39.16% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group increased their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $66.00 to $62.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Macquarie increased their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Las Vegas Sands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $60.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $51.00 price objective (down previously from $54.00) on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.58.

Las Vegas Sands Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LVS opened at $44.00 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.35, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.74. The company has a market cap of $31.50 billion, a PE ratio of 22.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.08. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.12. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $36.62 and a fifty-two week high of $56.60.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The casino operator reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by ($0.04). Las Vegas Sands had a return on equity of 45.82% and a net margin of 12.80%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Las Vegas Sands Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.27%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This is an increase from Las Vegas Sands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.76%.

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.