Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Cuts Stock Holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lowered its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 16.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 232,431 shares of the company’s stock after selling 44,171 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust were worth $7,057,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in EPRT. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 159.4% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 74,147 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,420,000 after acquiring an additional 45,561 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 21.8% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 22,244 shares of the company’s stock worth $726,000 after purchasing an additional 3,981 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,387,218 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,279,000 after purchasing an additional 195,057 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 1st quarter valued at $2,350,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 28.4% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 145,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,652,000 after purchasing an additional 32,254 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Performance

Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock opened at $32.11 on Wednesday. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a one year low of $28.95 and a one year high of $34.73. The company has a market cap of $6.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.89, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 8.17 and a current ratio of 8.17. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $30.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $31.47.

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

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. This is a positive change from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently 99.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Essential Properties Realty Trust

In related news, COO Robert M. Jenkins sold 22,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.22, for a total value of $708,840.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 34,168 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,100,892.96. This represents a 39.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.77% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $37.00 to $34.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $36.25 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eleven have given a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $36.11.

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.