Channing Capital Management LLC Buys 4,235 Shares of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX)

Channing Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SWX) by 0.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,270,072 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,235 shares during the quarter. Southwest Gas makes up approximately 2.4% of Channing Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Channing Capital Management LLC owned approximately 1.77% of Southwest Gas worth $89,807,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in SWX. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Southwest Gas by 48.2% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 590 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 569 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its stake in shares of Southwest Gas by 94,500.0% in the 4th quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 946 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 945 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Southwest Gas by 18.8% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its stake in Southwest Gas by 25.4% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,839 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $136,000 after buying an additional 373 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.77% of the company’s stock.

Southwest Gas Stock Performance

NYSE SWX opened at $72.74 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.33, a PEG ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $73.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $73.80. 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 12-month low of $64.31 and a 12-month high of $80.29.

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

Southwest Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.41%. Southwest Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 90.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Southwest Gas from $76.00 to $72.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Southwest Gas in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised shares of Southwest Gas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Southwest Gas in a research report on Friday, December 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.00.

Southwest Gas 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.