Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) Upgraded at BMO Capital Markets

BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $25.00 price target on the real estate investment trust’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on DEA. Compass Point reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $23.75 target price (down previously from $37.50) on shares of Easterly Government Properties in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Easterly Government Properties from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, June 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Easterly Government Properties from $27.50 to $22.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $27.15.

Easterly Government Properties Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE DEA opened at $22.60 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.81 and a beta of 0.94. Easterly Government Properties has a 52-week low of $19.33 and a 52-week high of $36.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 4.90 and a current ratio of 4.90. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $22.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $24.47.

Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.73. Easterly Government Properties had a net margin of 5.86% and a return on equity of 1.30%. The firm had revenue of $78.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.67 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.29 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Easterly Government Properties will post 1.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Easterly Government Properties Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Saturday, May 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 6th were given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 8.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 5th. Easterly Government Properties’s dividend payout ratio is presently 171.43%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Easterly Government Properties

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in Easterly Government Properties by 814.7% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 3,110 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 2,770 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 604.0% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 5,878 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 5,043 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties during the 4th quarter valued at about $70,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties during the 4th quarter valued at about $87,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties during the 4th quarter valued at about $97,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.51% of the company’s stock.

About Easterly Government Properties

Easterly Government Properties, Inc (NYSE: DEA) is based in Washington, DC, and focuses primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties that are leased to the U.S. Government. Easterly’s experienced management team brings specialized insight into the strategy and needs of mission-critical U.S.