Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $34.91.

EPRT has been the topic of several recent research reports. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $40.00 to $37.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. B. Riley cut Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $29.50 to $33.50 in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Barclays increased their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 5th.

Insider Activity at Essential Properties Realty Trust

In related news, Director Stephen D. Sautel sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.99, for a total value of $959,700.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 218,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,998,932.15. This trade represents a 12.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.77% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Essential Properties Realty Trust

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the first quarter valued at about $587,000. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the first quarter valued at about $587,000. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 10.8% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 76,959 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,512,000 after buying an additional 7,513 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the first quarter valued at about $2,350,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 3.0% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,164,473 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,008,000 after buying an additional 33,903 shares in the last quarter. 96.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Down 0.5%

EPRT opened at $31.70 on Friday. Essential Properties Realty Trust has a 1-year low of $26.07 and a 1-year high of $34.88. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.66 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.95. The company has a current ratio of 5.36, a quick ratio of 5.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $6.26 billion, a PE ratio of 27.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.09.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.46 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $129.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $124.88 million. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a return on equity of 6.12% and a net margin of 45.15%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 24.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.42 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Essential Properties Realty Trust will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.295 per share. This represents a $1.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.72%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 102.61%.

About Essential Properties Realty Trust

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc, a real estate company, acquires, owns, and manages single-tenant properties in the United States. The company leases its properties to middle-market companies, such as restaurants, car washes, automotive services, medical and dental services, convenience stores, equipment rental, entertainment, early childhood education, grocery, and health and fitness on a long-term basis.