Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Buys 23,814 Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. grew its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 12.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 209,003 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 23,814 shares during the period. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. owned about 0.11% of Essential Properties Realty Trust worth $6,220,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the third quarter worth about $46,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 54.2% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 656 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust during the third quarter worth approximately $61,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on EPRT. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $37.00 price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group increased 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, March 9th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $36.56.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of EPRT opened at $32.95 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $31.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.74, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.95. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 52 week low of $27.44 and a 52 week high of $34.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 6.37 and a current ratio of 6.37.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 96.88%.

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.