Analysts Set Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX) Target Price at $73.40

Shares of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the six research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $73.80.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on SWX shares. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Southwest Gas in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. They set a "hold" rating and a $73.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Southwest Gas from $76.00 to $72.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America restated an "underperform" rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Southwest Gas in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded Southwest Gas to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th.

Southwest Gas Stock Performance

Shares of SWX traded down $0.28 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $74.69. 990,161 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 372,968. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. Southwest Gas has a 52 week low of $57.55 and a 52 week high of $80.29. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $72.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $73.18. The firm has a market cap of $5.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.43.

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.12 billion. Southwest Gas had a return on equity of 5.99% and a net margin of 3.44%. The company's revenue was down 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.10 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Southwest Gas will post 3.05 EPS for the current year.

Southwest Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.32%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Southwest Gas's payout ratio is 100.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Southwest Gas

In other news, major shareholder Carl C. Icahn sold 1,390,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.74, for a total value of $106,668,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 9,632,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $739,206,030.96. The trade was a 12.61 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.39% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Southwest Gas by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 8,979 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $635,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in Southwest Gas by 18.8% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 937 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of Southwest Gas by 67.2% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 398 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC grew its stake in Southwest Gas by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 27,125 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $2,001,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in shares of Southwest Gas by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 15,766 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,115,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.77% of the company's stock.

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.