AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) Stock Position Raised by California Public Employees Retirement System

California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in shares of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 344,833 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,238 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in AvalonBay Communities were worth $75,853,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in AvalonBay Communities in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in AvalonBay Communities during the 4th quarter worth about $66,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in AvalonBay Communities by 312.5% during the 4th quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 363 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P increased its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 42.6% in the 4th quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 442 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the period. 92.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AvalonBay Communities Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE:AVB opened at $214.73 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $217.43 and its 200-day moving average is $222.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a 12 month low of $177.40 and a 12 month high of $239.29. The firm has a market cap of $30.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.29, a P/E/G ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 1.00.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.83 by ($0.03). AvalonBay Communities had a return on equity of 9.15% and a net margin of 37.13%. Equities analysts anticipate that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 11.48 EPS for the current year.

AvalonBay Communities Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $1.75 per share. This is an increase from AvalonBay Communities’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.70. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $7.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.26%. AvalonBay Communities’s dividend payout ratio is presently 92.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on AVB. Morgan Stanley cut shares of AvalonBay Communities from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $236.00 to $223.00 in a report on Friday, January 24th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $230.00 to $226.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Zelman & Associates raised AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $247.00 to $262.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $238.64.

About AvalonBay Communities

AvalonBay Communities, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the development, acquisition, ownership, and operation of multifamily communities. It operates through the following segments: Same Store, Other Stabilized, and Development or Redevelopment. The Same Store segment refers to the operating communities that were owned and had stabilized occupancy.