Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) Receives Consensus Rating of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) have received an average rating of “Buy” from the twelve brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $36.2045.

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $36.25 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Robert M. Jenkins sold 22,000 shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.22, for a total value of $708,840.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 34,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,100,892.96. This trade represents a 39.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.77% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Essential Properties Realty Trust

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 82.0% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp lifted its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 146.9% during the fourth quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 1,131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 673 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 47.8% during the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,339 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 433 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 664.4% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,590 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 1,382 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Trading Down 0.9%

EPRT opened at $30.88 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 8.17, a current ratio of 8.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $31.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $31.54. The company has a market capitalization of $6.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.94, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.86. Essential Properties Realty Trust has a 52 week low of $28.95 and a 52 week high of $34.73.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.01. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a return on equity of 6.34% and a net margin of 43.51%.The business had revenue of $161.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $156.65 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.46 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Essential Properties Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.010-2.050 EPS. Analysts forecast that Essential Properties Realty Trust will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This is a boost from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s payout ratio is 99.22%.

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.