Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.33 EPS

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The utilities provider reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70 by ($0.33), Briefing.com reports. Southwest Gas had a return on equity of 7.28% and a net margin of 2.78%. The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.69 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Southwest Gas Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SWX traded up $0.20 during trading on Thursday, reaching $75.99. 107,925 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 455,081. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The company has a 50 day moving average of $73.58 and a 200-day moving average of $65.29. Southwest Gas has a 12 month low of $55.13 and a 12 month high of $76.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.36.

Southwest Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.26%. Southwest Gas’s payout ratio is currently 116.98%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Southwest Gas from $64.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th.

About Southwest Gas

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.