Stock Of The Day Sets Up Possible Entry. Analyst Notes This Bullish Trend.

Las Vegas Sands (LVS) is the IBD Stock of the Day as shares of the resort operator trade constructively tight and above an important chart level.

Despite its name, the company no longer owns any hotels or casinos in Las Vegas. Instead, it’s become the leading casino resort operator in Macao, China’s gambling district. It operates five integrated resorts in Macao, where the company’s projects such as the $5.6 billion Marina Bay Sands helped turn the area into a gaming destination.

In its third-quarter earnings report, the company said premium brands, including the ones Las Vegas Sands operates, are driving Macau’s growth. Sands China’s market share of tables and slots gambling revenue rebounded to 25.4% growth in Q3, although that’s still below pre-pandemic levels of around 29%.

Goldman Sachs analyst Lizzie Dove said in a note to clients Dec. 15 that the Macao market’s gross gaming revenue climbed 8.6% year to date and should remain strong.

“For Macau, we believe that strong recent trends … can persist into 2026, supported by solid visitation trends, easier comps lasting well into (the second quarter), the wealth effect from a rising Chinese stock market and potential shifts in preferred travel itineraries for Mainland Chinese tourists, following a recent rise in China/Japan tensions,” she noted.

The analyst upgraded Las Vegas Sands to a buy rating from neutral and increased the price target to 80 from 64.

She also expects Las Vegas Sands to execute about $2 billion in annual share repurchases, even while it pours significant amounts into its operations. Dove added that Las Vegas Sands’ Singapore business is “firing on all cylinders” as it continues to take market share.

Las Vegas Sands Leads Industry

Las Vegas Sands has an IBD Composite Rating of 95, the highest in the gaming industry group. It earns that high mark thanks largely to a turnaround. After three straight quarters of declining earnings amid a soft China economy, EPS grew 44% and 77% the two most recent quarters. Sales also snapped a losing streak, rising 15% and 24%.

Analysts’ consensus estimate for the current quarter is 76 cents a share in earnings, an increase of 40%, according to FactSet. Sales are expected to climb 14.5% to $3.316 billion.

Shares are up 29% year to date, currently around 61, according to IBD MarketSurge.

The stock has been trading quietly for a few weeks, holding mostly above the 21-day exponential moving average. A strong move above the 21-day line would provide an entry. The stock also appears to be forming a flat base with a potential 70.45 buy point.

Las Vegas Sands has a calm 21-day average true range (ATR) of 2.06%. The average true range, available on MarketSurge, gauges the characteristic breadth of a stock’s behavior. Stocks with a high ATR tend to make large price moves that can trigger sell rules. Stocks with lower ATRs tend to make more incremental moves.

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