Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Reduces Stock Holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lessened its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 5.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 386,741 shares of the company’s stock after selling 24,285 shares during the period. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.20% of Essential Properties Realty Trust worth $11,533,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EPRT. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 54.2% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 656 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 40.1% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,883 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the third quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter worth $61,000. 96.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Essential Properties Realty Trust

In other Essential Properties Realty Trust news, CFO Robert Webb Salisbury sold 5,851 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.88, for a total value of $186,529.88. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 8,310 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $264,922.80. This trade represents a 41.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP A Joseph Peil sold 19,657 shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.10, for a total transaction of $630,989.70. Following the sale, the vice president owned 76,525 shares in the company, valued at $2,456,452.50. This represents a 20.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.77% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EPRT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $35.00 to $37.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Essential Properties Realty Trust presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.60.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE EPRT opened at $33.33 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $32.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $31.17. The company has a market capitalization of $7.01 billion, a PE ratio of 26.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 6.37 and a quick ratio of 6.37. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 12-month low of $28.95 and a 12-month high of $34.73.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s payout ratio is 96.88%.

About Essential Properties Realty Trust

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: EPRT) is a self-administered real estate investment trust that acquires, owns and manages single-tenant commercial properties subject to long-term, triple-net leases. The company’s portfolio primarily consists of small-box retail and industrial assets, including convenience stores, automotive service centers, quick-service restaurants, fitness centers and other necessity-based businesses. Under a triple-net lease structure, tenants assume responsibility for property taxes, insurance and most maintenance expenses, providing Essential Properties with predictable, stable cash flows.

Since its founding in April 2016 and its initial public offering later that year, Essential Properties has pursued a growth strategy focused on partnering with creditworthy tenants operating in densely populated trade areas.