Posted on: March 20, 2024, 11:12h.
Last updated on: March 20, 2024, 09:42h.
Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) CEO Robert Goldstein recently sold 100K shares of the gaming company, grossing proceeds of $5.23 million.
The sale occurred last Friday and pertained to stock owned by the Robert and Sheryl Goldstein Trust, according to a Form 144 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The shares divested by Goldstein were restricted units he earned between 2015 and January 2024 as part of his broader compensation package.
Goldstein joined Las Vegas Sands in 1995. From 1995 through 2010, he served as president and chief operating officer (COO) of the Venetian and Palazzo on the Las Vegas Strip. He later became the company’s president of global gaming, overseeing its Macau and Singapore operations. Goldstein took the reins as chief executive officer in January 2021 following the death of Sands Chairman and founder Sheldon Adelson.
Goldstein Adds to Sales by Gaming Insiders
Broadly speaking, neither Goldstein, nor most Sands insiders, are prolific sellers of the casino operator’s shares. But his recent sale comes at a time of increased insider selling at gaming operators.
Recent SEC filings indicate Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD) insiders, including some members of the Boyd family, dumped tens of millions of dollars of the regional casino operator’s stock in recent weeks.
Last month, several high-ranking executives at Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN), including CEO Craig Billings, slightly reduced their exposure to their employer’s shares. Likewise, insiders at one of the largest online sportsbook operators have well-documented reputations for being frequent sellers of that company’s equity.
While insider sales occur for a variety of reasons, the sheer amount of selling by high-level gaming executives in a relatively short time frame could signal to market participants that these executives are concerned about macroeconomic headwinds potentially affecting casinos. However, none of the sellers have disclosed the exact reasons for their sales, nor are they legally obligated to do so.
Goldstein Still a Major Sands Shareholder
Specific to Goldstein, his sale of 100K shares of Sands stock is somewhat modest. After that transaction, he still owns more than 7.64 million shares of the casino operator’s stock.
That figure includes options to purchase 5,582,000 vested shares, 1,168,000 unvested shares, and 386,332 restricted stock units that are unvested, according to the SEC.
Based on where Sands trades at this writing, Goldstein’s stake in the gaming company is valued at more than $387 million.
With a market capitalization of $38.27 billion, Las Vegas Sands is the world’s largest publicly traded gaming company.
