Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX) Stake Increased by Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda

Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda raised its stake in shares of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX) by 4.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,234 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the quarter. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda’s holdings in Southwest Gas were worth $268,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in Southwest Gas by 461.9% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,371 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 1,127 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Southwest Gas by 520.4% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 3,071 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $195,000 after acquiring an additional 2,576 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 22.6% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 3,152 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $200,000 after acquiring an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in Southwest Gas during the fourth quarter worth $239,000. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Southwest Gas in the fourth quarter worth $333,000. 92.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Southwest Gas Stock Performance

Shares of Southwest Gas stock traded down $0.02 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $73.52. 12,861 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 420,045. The stock has a market cap of $5.27 billion, a PE ratio of 27.55, a P/E/G ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.39. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $75.09 and its 200 day moving average is $68.58. Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $56.17 and a 12 month high of $78.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.70 by ($0.33). The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.38 billion. Southwest Gas had a return on equity of 6.71% and a net margin of 3.56%. Southwest Gas’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.69 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. will post 3.42 EPS for the current year.

Southwest Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. Southwest Gas’s payout ratio is currently 92.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Southwest Gas in a report on Monday, May 13th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $77.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup lifted their target price on Southwest Gas from $64.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Justin L. Brown sold 2,625 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.50, for a total transaction of $200,812.50. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,830 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,822,995. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.39% of the stock is currently 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.