Empowered Funds LLC Has $339,000 Holdings in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)

Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) by 9.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,600 shares of the casino operator’s stock after buying an additional 550 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Las Vegas Sands were worth $339,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in Las Vegas Sands by 73.5% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 583 shares of the casino operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Las Vegas Sands in the third quarter worth $34,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the third quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors own 39.16% of the company’s stock.

Las Vegas Sands Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE:LVS opened at $44.98 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $46.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.02. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a one year low of $36.62 and a one year high of $56.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.35, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.20 billion, a PE ratio of 22.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.08.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The casino operator reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Las Vegas Sands Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 is presently 50.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LVS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $60.00 to $59.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Barclays dropped their price target on Las Vegas Sands from $61.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Macquarie boosted their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $51.00 price target (down previously from $54.00) on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.58.

Insider Activity at Las Vegas Sands

In other news, CEO Robert G. Goldstein sold 60,187 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 29th. The shares were 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 SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.91% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Las Vegas Sands 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.