Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Has $848,000 Stock Position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lowered its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 50.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 28,485 shares of the company’s stock after selling 29,561 shares during the quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust were worth $848,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the third quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 54.2% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 656 shares during the last quarter. 96.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of EPRT stock opened at $30.90 on Thursday. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 12 month low of $27.44 and a 12 month high of $33.35. The firm has a market cap of $6.12 billion, a PE ratio of 24.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $30.54 and a 200-day moving average of $30.49. The company has a quick ratio of 5.66, a current ratio of 5.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.48. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a net margin of 45.25% and a return on equity of 6.38%. The business had revenue of $144.93 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $140.42 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s quarterly revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. will post 1.83 EPS for the current year.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. This is a positive change from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on EPRT. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Berenberg Bank started coverage on Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Monday, October 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $36.00 price target for the company. Stifel Nicolaus set a $36.00 price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Scotiabank raised their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 15th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.41.

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.