Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.62 (NYSE:SWX)

Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX - Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 19th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a dividend of 0.62 per share by the utilities provider on Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th.

Southwest Gas has raised its dividend by an average of 1.7% annually over the last three years. Southwest Gas has a payout ratio of 60.8% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Southwest Gas to earn $3.69 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.48 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 67.2%.

Southwest Gas Price Performance

NYSE SWX traded down $0.16 on Friday, reaching $76.92. The company's stock had a trading volume of 522,747 shares, compared to its average volume of 345,807. The firm has a market cap of $5.52 billion, a PE ratio of 31.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.44. 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 has a 52 week low of $60.88 and a 52 week high of $80.29. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $72.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $73.51.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on SWX shares. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Southwest Gas in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $73.00 target price for the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded Southwest Gas to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Southwest Gas from $76.00 to $72.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed an "underperform" rating and issued a $73.00 target price on shares of Southwest Gas in a report on Friday, December 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Southwest Gas presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $73.80.

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.