Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Time to Buy?

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Wednesday . 3,939,790 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 117% from the previous session’s volume of 1,817,411 shares.The stock last traded at $32.1950 and had previously closed at $32.69.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $37.00 price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $36.00 price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Essential Properties Realty Trust presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $35.45.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 6.37 and a current ratio of 6.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.79 billion, a PE ratio of 25.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $30.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.50.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.31 per share. This is an increase from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 96.88%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. VARCOV Co. purchased a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 4th quarter worth $369,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,844,570 shares of the company’s stock valued at $232,670,000 after purchasing an additional 421,364 shares in the last quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. grew its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 11.8% in the fourth quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. now owns 382,917 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,357,000 after purchasing an additional 40,501 shares during the period. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC increased its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 103.6% during the fourth quarter. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC now owns 395,042 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,717,000 after purchasing an additional 201,047 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Polymer Capital Management US LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust during the fourth quarter worth about $342,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Company Profile

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.