J.P. Morgan’s Top 4 Gaming Stocks to Buy as China Growth Reignites

The team at J.P. Morgan are positive on the new trends, and in a new research report they raise price targets on three of the top four stocks in their coverage universe. Longer term, the J.P. Morgan team finds Macau to possess attractive supply and demand dynamics supported by infrastructure enhancements. In the near term, they do expect the stocks to be volatile and recommend investors to use any market volatility on the downside to start scaling in stock purchases.

Here are the four top gaming stocks to buy at J.P. Morgan now.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) was hit hard in the recent market, giving investors are very solid entry point. The most of its revenues come from fast-growing Asia, not Las Vegas. Its primary properties are in Macau, where gambling revenues are six to seven times that of Las Vegas overall, and growing much faster.

While the J.P. Morgan team has had to rework their numbers both up and down on certain metrics, they remain positive. Investors are paid a solid 2.7% dividend. J.P. Morgan raises their price target to $91 from $89. The Thomson/First Call price target for the stock is $89.45. Las Vegas Sands closed Tuesday at $75.08 a share.

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Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (NASDAQ: MPEL), in partnership with the richest Filipino national, Henry Sy, is set to open its City of Dreams Manila resort later this year. Melco Crown made this initial $1.3 billion investment in Manila’s new “entertainment city” in the hopes that this area will become one of the future gambling and resort hubs of Asia. While Singapore represents a premier developed market, the Philippines will be another bet on a developing region within Asia supported by huge populations of mass-market gamers and access to traveling gamers from Japan and South Korea.

Investors are paid a 1.5% dividend from the company. J.P. Morgan raises its price target on this premiere Asian gambling pure-play to $47 from $46. The consensus for the stock is posted at $47.03.

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) combines a very strong presence in Las Vegas and growing clout in Macau. MGM is poised to perhaps break out after years of so-so trading. While still burdened with high debt, at least some of that debt has been refinanced at lower levels.

The J.P. Morgan analysts find MGM to have the most favorable risk-reward, given the combination of exposure to improving trends on the Las Vegas Strip and the continuing growth in the mass market segment in Macau in the near term, and steady balance sheet improvements and its development pipeline in the medium term. They hold their price target steady at $32, while the consensus target is $31. MGM closed Tuesday at $25.78.

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Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) has become perhaps the premiere gaming name on Wall Street over the past few years. The company posted very impressive first-quarter results, with both earnings and revenue beating Wall Street consensus estimates. Adjusted earnings of $2.32 in the first quarter grew 14.3% from the year-ago quarter. The upside was driven by 9% growth in the top line as strong gambling revenues from Macau operations were offset by a relatively softer performance in Las Vegas.

Investors are paid a respectable 2.5% dividend from the casino operator. The J.P. Morgan analysts lift their price target to $249 from $243, and the consensus is set at $242.50. Wynn shares closed Tuesday at $202.18.

Gambling is one commodity that rarely goes out of favor. In Asia some of the highest rollers frequent the top Macau casinos, and that is only expected to increase. Investors wanting to add shares are reminded in the J.P. Morgan report to scale in purchases to take advantage of current volatility.