Getty Realty Corporation (NYSE:GTY) Short Interest Up 135.7% in February

Getty Realty Corporation (NYSE:GTY) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 7,399,188 shares, an increase of 135.7% from the February 12th total of 3,139,236 shares. Approximately 13.6% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,101,327 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.7 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,101,327 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.7 days. Approximately 13.6% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Getty Realty Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:GTY traded up $0.10 on Friday, reaching $33.13. The company had a trading volume of 282,291 shares, compared to its average volume of 771,017. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.82. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $31.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.87. Getty Realty has a twelve month low of $25.39 and a twelve month high of $34.02. The company has a quick ratio of 2.20, a current ratio of 2.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

Getty Realty (NYSE:GTY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.01. Getty Realty had a return on equity of 7.86% and a net margin of 35.72%.The business had revenue of $60.55 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $55.94 million. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Getty Realty will post 2.29 EPS for the current year.

Getty Realty Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 26th will be given a $0.485 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 26th. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. Getty Realty’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 144.78%.

Institutional Trading of Getty Realty

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Getty Realty in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in Getty Realty during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in Getty Realty during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Getty Realty by 3,996.6% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,188 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Getty Realty in the second quarter worth about $38,000. 85.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on GTY shares. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Getty Realty from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Getty Realty from $29.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Getty Realty in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $32.20.

About Getty Realty

Getty Realty Corp is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, ownership and leasing of service station and convenience retail properties. The company’s portfolio consists primarily of fee-simple and ground-leased sites, which are leased to major national and regional fuel and convenience store operators under long-term, triple-net leases. This structure provides Getty Realty with a stable stream of contractual rental income and limited operational responsibilities.

Founded in 1981, Getty Realty became a publicly listed company in 2005 and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GTY.