Russell Investments Group Ltd. Reduces Holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 31.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,277,896 shares of the company’s stock after selling 591,836 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.64% of Essential Properties Realty Trust worth $38,030,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the third quarter valued at 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. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the third quarter worth about $61,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 24.8% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,861 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 569 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Price Performance

Shares of EPRT opened at $33.02 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $30.85. The stock has a market cap of $6.93 billion, a PE ratio of 25.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.95. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 1-year low of $27.44 and a 1-year high of $34.73. 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 Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 96.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on EPRT. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $36.56.

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.