EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,150,000 shares, a growth of 7.0% from the March 15th total of 2,010,000 shares. Currently, 2.9% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 651,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.3 days.

EPR Properties Stock Performance

Shares of EPR stock opened at $40.39 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 7.53, a quick ratio of 7.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $41.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.92. The company has a market cap of $3.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.50 and a beta of 1.65. EPR Properties has a 12 month low of $39.01 and a 12 month high of $49.10.

EPR Properties Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 28th were paid a dividend of $0.285 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $3.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.47%. This is an increase from EPR Properties’s previous monthly dividend of $0.28. EPR Properties’s payout ratio is presently 173.60%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on EPR shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of EPR Properties from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of EPR Properties from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 8th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of EPR Properties from $47.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 5th. JMP Securities downgraded shares of EPR Properties from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of EPR Properties from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, EPR Properties presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $48.05.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EPR Properties

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC grew its stake in shares of EPR Properties by 2.4% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 12,327 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $470,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its stake in shares of EPR Properties by 1.4% during the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 21,434 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $890,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares in the last quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama grew its stake in shares of EPR Properties by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 94,345 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $4,571,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares in the last quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in EPR Properties by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 19,474 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $944,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Putnam Investments LLC boosted its stake in EPR Properties by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 85,580 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $3,228,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.66% of the company’s stock.

About EPR Properties

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) is the leading diversified experiential net lease real estate investment trust (REIT), specializing in select enduring experiential properties in the real estate industry. We focus on real estate venues that create value by facilitating out of home leisure and recreation experiences where consumers choose to spend their discretionary time and money.