Moody Aldrich Partners LLC Lowers Position in Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX)

Moody Aldrich Partners LLC decreased its position in Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX - Free Report) by 2.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 130,871 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 3,702 shares during the period. Southwest Gas makes up 1.7% of Moody Aldrich Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC owned approximately 0.18% of Southwest Gas worth $9,254,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in SWX. Maverick Capital Ltd. lifted its stake in Southwest Gas by 18.5% in the third quarter. Maverick Capital Ltd. now owns 1,765,148 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $130,197,000 after buying an additional 275,992 shares in the last quarter. Zimmer Partners LP bought a new stake in Southwest Gas in the 3rd quarter valued at $6,823,000. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Southwest Gas by 192.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 105,134 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $7,755,000 after purchasing an additional 69,212 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Southwest Gas by 7,276.0% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 51,042 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $3,765,000 after purchasing an additional 50,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Southwest Gas by 107.4% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 83,306 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $6,145,000 after purchasing an additional 43,131 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.77% of the company's stock.

Southwest Gas Stock Performance

NYSE SWX traded down $0.28 on Friday, hitting $74.69. 1,023,061 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 308,806. The company has a market capitalization of $5.36 billion, a PE ratio of 30.12, a P/E/G ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The business's fifty day moving average is $72.81 and its 200 day moving average is $73.19. Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $57.55 and a 52 week high of $80.29.

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.02. Southwest Gas had a net margin of 3.44% and a return on equity of 5.99%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.10 EPS. Southwest Gas's quarterly revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. will post 3.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southwest Gas Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Carl C. Icahn sold 1,390,000 shares of Southwest Gas stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.74, for a total transaction of $106,668,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 9,632,604 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $739,206,030.96. The trade was a 12.61 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.