Southwest Gas Corporation (NYSE:SWX) Stock Has Average Target Price of $101.12

Southwest Gas Corporation (NYSE:SWX) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $101.12.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on SWX shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Southwest Gas from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Southwest Gas in a research report on Friday, October 9th. They set a “peer perform” rating and a $92.00 price target for the company. Mizuho set a $103.00 price target on shares of Southwest Gas in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Southwest Gas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, October 4th. Finally, Scotiabank began coverage on Southwest Gas in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. They set a “sector outperform” rating and a $95.00 price objective for the company.

Southwest Gas Price Performance

Southwest Gas stock opened at $86.35 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $6.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $86.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $88.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Southwest Gas has a 12-month low of $76.99 and a 12-month high of $94.46.

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. The business had revenue of $358.15 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $416.20 million. Southwest Gas had a net margin of 31.85% and a return on equity of 6.79%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.18) EPS. Southwest Gas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.170-4.320 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Southwest Gas will post 4.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southwest Gas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.6450 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $2.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Southwest Gas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Julie Williams sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.81, for a total transaction of $204,525.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 26,450 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,163,874.50. This trade represents a 8.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southwest Gas

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,960 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $174,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its position in Southwest Gas by 1.7% during the first quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 11,116 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $966,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System grew its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 1.3% in the first quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 15,429 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,341,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in Southwest Gas by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 41,205 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,581,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP boosted its stake in Southwest Gas by 1.1% during the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 26,514 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,351,000 after buying an additional 282 shares during the period. 92.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Southwest Gas Company Profile

Southwest Gas Corporation (NYSE: SWX) is a regulated natural gas distribution utility serving residential, commercial and industrial customers. The company purchases, transports and delivers natural gas through its distribution networks, while also providing services related to system operations, maintenance, customer support and energy conservation.

Southwest Gas serves communities in Arizona, Nevada and portions of California. Its service territory includes major metropolitan areas such as Las Vegas and Phoenix, as well as numerous smaller communities across the southwestern United States.