Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $73.78.

A number of research firms have weighed in on ELS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $73.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Compass Point increased their target price on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised Equity LifeStyle Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $72.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $69.00 to $68.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 29th.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Stock Performance

Equity LifeStyle Properties stock opened at $66.88 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $66.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.45. Equity LifeStyle Properties has a 52 week low of $59.82 and a 52 week high of $76.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.30, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 0.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Equity LifeStyle Properties (NYSE:ELS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76. Equity LifeStyle Properties had a net margin of 24.05% and a return on equity of 23.12%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Equity LifeStyle Properties will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be paid a $0.515 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.08%. This is a positive change from Equity LifeStyle Properties’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Equity LifeStyle Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 97.95%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equity LifeStyle Properties

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. National Pension Service acquired a new stake in Equity LifeStyle Properties in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties by 121.4% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 383 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Equity LifeStyle Properties by 356.4% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 534 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 417 shares in the last quarter. 97.21% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Company Profile

Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the ownership and operation of lifestyle-oriented properties consisting primarily of manufactured home, and recreational vehicle communities. It operates through the following segments: Property Operations and Home Sales and Rentals Operations.