Traders Buy High Volume of Put Options on VICI Properties (NYSE:VICI)

VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Investors bought 2,777 put options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 50% compared to the typical volume of 1,856 put options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of VICI Properties in the fourth quarter worth $537,676,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in VICI Properties by 31,134.9% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,218,191 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,336,000 after purchasing an additional 10,185,477 shares in the last quarter. Man Group plc raised its stake in VICI Properties by 100.6% in the 4th quarter. Man Group plc now owns 11,406,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $320,752,000 after purchasing an additional 5,720,867 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in VICI Properties by 247.8% in the 4th quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 7,792,028 shares of the company’s stock valued at $219,112,000 after purchasing an additional 5,551,620 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of VICI Properties by 99.5% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 9,656,111 shares of the company’s stock worth $314,886,000 after purchasing an additional 4,815,053 shares during the last quarter. 97.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on VICI shares. Mizuho cut their target price on VICI Properties from $35.00 to $30.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on VICI Properties from $38.00 to $34.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $32.00 target price (down from $36.00) on shares of VICI Properties in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Evercore reaffirmed an “in-line” rating and set a $32.00 price target (down from $36.00) on shares of VICI Properties in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Scotiabank cut shares of VICI Properties from a “sector outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $36.00 to $30.00 in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, VICI Properties presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $33.85.

VICI Properties Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:VICI opened at $30.23 on Tuesday. VICI Properties has a 52-week low of $27.48 and a 52-week high of $34.03. The company has a quick ratio of 3.60, a current ratio of 3.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $28.49 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.25. The company has a market capitalization of $32.30 billion, a PE ratio of 11.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.70.

VICI Properties Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th were issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 17th. VICI Properties’s dividend payout ratio is 68.70%.

About VICI Properties

VICI Properties (NYSE: VICI) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in experiential real estate, with a primary focus on gaming, hospitality and entertainment assets. The company acquires, owns and manages a portfolio of destination properties and leases those assets to operators under long-term agreements, generating rental income and partnering on property development and capital projects. VICI was formed in connection with the restructuring of Caesars Entertainment and has since grown through acquisitions and strategic transactions to expand its footprint in the gaming and leisure sector.

The company’s portfolio is concentrated in major U.S.