Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX) Holdings Lifted by Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board

Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board raised its holdings in Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX - Free Report) by 15.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 64,686 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 8,816 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board owned 0.09% of Southwest Gas worth $4,574,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Southwest Gas by 48.2% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 590 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Southwest Gas by 206.2% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 845 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 569 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC grew its holdings in shares of Southwest Gas by 94,500.0% during the fourth quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 946 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 945 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 18.8% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 937 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Southwest Gas by 40.1% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,013 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 290 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.77% of the company's stock.

Southwest Gas Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of SWX traded up $0.25 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $73.51. 247,578 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 352,642. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $64.31 and a 1-year high of $80.29. The company has a market cap of $5.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.64, a P/E/G ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $73.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $73.77.

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.18. Southwest Gas had a net margin of 3.44% and a return on equity of 5.99%. The company had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.35 billion. Research analysts expect that Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Southwest Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be paid a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. Southwest Gas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.18%.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder Carl C. Icahn sold 2,100,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.60, for a total value of $156,660,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 7,532,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $561,932,258.40. This trade represents a 21.80 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SWX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Southwest Gas in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. They set a "hold" rating and a $73.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Southwest Gas from $76.00 to $72.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised shares of Southwest Gas to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.00.

Southwest Gas Company Profile

Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, distributes and transports natural gas in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The company operates through Natural Gas Distribution, Utility Infrastructure Services, and Pipeline and Storage segments. It also provides trenching, installation, and replacement of underground pipes, as well as maintenance services for energy distribution systems.