Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) Given New $32.00 Price Target at Scotiabank

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) had its target price cut by Scotiabank from $33.00 to $32.00 in a report published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a sector perform rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on EPRT. UBS Group upped their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. B. Riley lowered Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their target price for the company from $29.50 to $33.50 in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Mizuho upped their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Capital One Financial assumed coverage on Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $35.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $37.00 to $34.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.48.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Trading Up 0.5 %

EPRT opened at $32.66 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.65, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a current ratio of 5.36, a quick ratio of 5.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Essential Properties Realty Trust has a 12 month low of $23.58 and a 12 month high of $34.88. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $31.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $32.30.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.14. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a return on equity of 6.12% and a net margin of 45.15%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Essential Properties Realty Trust will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.295 dividend. This is an increase from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.61%. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently 103.51%.

Insider Transactions at Essential Properties Realty Trust

In other news, Director Stephen D. Sautel sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.99, for a total value of $959,700.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 218,785 shares in the company, valued at $6,998,932.15. This represents a 12.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Essential Properties Realty Trust

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 95.2% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 818 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 399 shares during the last quarter. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 74.5% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,096 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 1,834.4% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 215.4% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,211 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

About Essential Properties Realty Trust

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc, a real estate company, acquires, owns, and manages single-tenant properties in the United States. The company leases its properties to middle-market companies, such as restaurants, car washes, automotive services, medical and dental services, convenience stores, equipment rental, entertainment, early childhood education, grocery, and health and fitness on a long-term basis.