Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) Stock Price
by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat GemLas Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS – Free Report) had its target price lifted by Morgan Stanley from $67.00 to $69.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the casino operator’s stock.
A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on LVS. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Las Vegas Sands from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Argus cut their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $80.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. HSBC raised their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $73.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $68.28.
View Our Latest Report on Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:LVS opened at $51.98 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.50 billion, a PE ratio of 19.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.89. Las Vegas Sands has a twelve month low of $34.36 and a twelve month high of $70.45. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $55.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.91.
Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The casino operator reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $3.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.32 billion. Las Vegas Sands had a net margin of 13.41% and a return on equity of 112.15%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 25.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.59 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Las Vegas Sands will post 3.16 EPS for the current year.
Las Vegas Sands Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 5th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 5th. Las Vegas Sands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.28%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, CEO Patrick Dumont sold 60,165 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.75, for a total value of $3,294,033.75. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.55% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Las Vegas Sands
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 358.4% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 227,278 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $12,225,000 after acquiring an additional 177,695 shares in the last quarter. Donoghue Forlines LLC purchased a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the third quarter worth approximately $2,143,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 2,655.3% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 878,022 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $57,150,000 after acquiring an additional 846,155 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC raised its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 293.5% during the third quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 27,061 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $1,456,000 after acquiring an additional 20,184 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 99.5% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 934,927 shares of the casino operator’s stock worth $60,901,000 after acquiring an additional 466,330 shares in the last quarter. 39.16% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
More Las Vegas Sands News
Here are the key news stories impacting Las Vegas Sands this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and solid top-line growth — LVS reported ~25% YoY revenue growth, EPS above estimates, consolidated adjusted property EBITDA up about 24.6%, and management disclosed $740M of share repurchases; these are supportive for earnings momentum and shareholder returns. PR Newswire: Q1 Results
- Positive Sentiment: Strong Marina Bay Sands performance — VIP/high-end gaming rebound in Singapore drove outsized revenue gains, helping offset Macao softness and boosting consolidated results. Yahoo: Marina Bay Sands Boosts Revenue
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst reactions are mixed but mostly constructive — several firms raised price targets (Morgan Stanley, Stifel, Mizuho, HSBC) while a few trimmed theirs; the changes reflect differing views on Macau margin recovery vs. growth. These updates create varied near-term sentiment but don’t alter the underlying beat. MarketScreener: Analyst Moves
- Negative Sentiment: Macau margin pressure and near-term spending concerns — investors focused on a decline in adjusted property EBITDA margin Y/Y, management commentary about staffing/service investments and promotional intensity in Macau’s high-end segment, which could compress margins and offset revenue gains. This is the main driver of the stock decline. QuiverQuant: Margin Pressure Analysis
- Negative Sentiment: Insider and institutional activity raises caution — notable insider selling and large institutional portfolio shifts were flagged in reporting, which can weigh on sentiment even after a beat. QuiverQuant: Insider & Institutional Activity
About Las Vegas Sands
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.