Vanderbilt University Grows Position in Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. $ELS

Vanderbilt University boosted its stake in shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS) by 33.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 57,149 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 14,264 shares during the quarter. Equity Lifestyle Properties accounts for about 0.6% of Vanderbilt University’s holdings, making the stock its 26th largest position. Vanderbilt University’s holdings in Equity Lifestyle Properties were worth $3,464,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in Equity Lifestyle Properties during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Equity Lifestyle Properties during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in Equity Lifestyle Properties by 943.8% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 501 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 453 shares during the period. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP bought a new stake in Equity Lifestyle Properties during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in Equity Lifestyle Properties by 126.9% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 574 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the period. 97.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $71.00 price target (up from $68.00) on shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Equity Lifestyle Properties from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $70.00 price target (up from $68.00) on shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Zelman & Associates initiated coverage on Equity Lifestyle Properties in a report on Monday, March 16th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $59.25 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.05.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director David J. Contis sold 3,000 shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.22, for a total value of $201,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 14,890 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,000,905.80. This trade represents a 16.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Equity Lifestyle Properties Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of ELS stock opened at $63.54 on Wednesday. Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. has a 12-month low of $58.15 and a 12-month high of $69.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $65.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $63.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.76.

Equity Lifestyle Properties Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 27th will be issued a $0.5425 dividend. This represents a $2.17 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. This is a positive change from Equity Lifestyle Properties’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 27th. Equity Lifestyle Properties’s payout ratio is presently 107.96%.

Equity Lifestyle Properties Profile

Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc (NYSE: ELS) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust specializing in the acquisition, development, ownership and operation of manufactured home communities and recreational vehicle resorts. The company’s portfolio includes more than 450 properties across the United States and Canada, serving over 200,000 residents and visitors. ELS organizes its operations into two primary segments: manufactured housing communities, which provide long-term housing solutions, and upscale RV and seasonal resorts designed for leisure travelers and seasonal patrons.

In its manufactured home division, ELS offers home-site leases combined with community amenities such as landscaped common areas, clubhouses, swimming pools and organized resident events.