Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA) Short Interest Up 9.4% in March

Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA) saw a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,490,000 shares, an increase of 9.4% from the March 15th total of 3,190,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 985,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of Easterly Government Properties from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd.

Institutional Trading of Easterly Government Properties

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of DEA. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 102.3% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,023 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,023 shares during the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 2,550.6% in the fourth quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 2,200 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 2,117 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Middle East FZE acquired a new stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 137.3% in the first quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,684 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,553 shares during the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Easterly Government Properties Price Performance

Easterly Government Properties stock traded down $0.13 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $11.15. The company had a trading volume of 961,215 shares, compared to its average volume of 866,726. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $11.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.95. The company has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.71 and a beta of 0.67. Easterly Government Properties has a 1 year low of $10.27 and a 1 year high of $15.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 4.65 and a quick ratio of 4.65.

Easterly Government Properties Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 6th were given a $0.265 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 5th. This represents a $1.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.51%. Easterly Government Properties’s dividend payout ratio is presently 557.92%.

About Easterly Government Properties

Easterly Government Properties, Inc (NYSE: DEA) is based in Washington, DC, and focuses primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties that are leased to the U.S. Government. Easterly's experienced management team brings specialized insight into the strategy and needs of mission-critical U.S.