Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.32 (NYSE:EPRT)

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of 0.32 per share on Wednesday, October 14th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th.

Essential Properties Realty Trust has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 6 consecutive years. Essential Properties Realty Trust has a dividend payout ratio of 95.5% meaning its dividend is currently covered by earnings, but may not be in the future if the company’s earnings decline. Equities analysts expect Essential Properties Realty Trust to earn $2.10 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.28 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 61.0%.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EPRT opened at $29.88 on Wednesday. Essential Properties Realty Trust has a 52 week low of $28.95 and a 52 week high of $34.73. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $31.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $31.42. 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 firm has a market cap of $6.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.85.

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

Insider Activity at Essential Properties Realty Trust

In related news, COO Robert M. Jenkins sold 22,000 shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.22, for a total value of $708,840.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 34,168 shares in the company, valued at $1,100,892.96. The trade was a 39.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.77% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essential Properties Realty Trust

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,183,153,000. Cohen & Steers Inc. lifted its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 111.6% during the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 18,611,967 shares of the company’s stock valued at $552,031,000 after buying an additional 9,816,042 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 2,970.2% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 7,296,773 shares of the company’s stock valued at $217,809,000 after buying an additional 7,059,105 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 1,930,360.7% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,737,308 shares of the company’s stock valued at $199,829,000 after acquiring an additional 6,736,959 shares during the period. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 4,681.4% in the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 3,997,593 shares of the company’s stock valued at $118,569,000 after acquiring an additional 3,913,986 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

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.