Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) Lowered to Sell Rating by Wall Street Zen

by · The Markets Daily

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT – Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

EPRT has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Barclays reduced their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Mizuho lowered their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $37.00 to $34.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Scotiabank upgraded Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $33.00 in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.20.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Essential Properties Realty Trust

Essential Properties Realty Trust Trading Down 0.9%

NYSE:EPRT opened at $30.88 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a quick ratio of 8.17, a current ratio of 8.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a fifty day moving average of $31.06 and a 200 day moving average of $31.54. Essential Properties Realty Trust has a 52 week low of $28.95 and a 52 week high of $34.73.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.01. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a net margin of 43.51% and a return on equity of 6.34%. The business had revenue of $161.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $156.65 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 18.1% on a year-over-year basis. 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 will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. 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 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 business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.22, for a total transaction of $708,840.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 34,168 shares in the company, valued at $1,100,892.96. The trade was a 39.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.77% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Essential Properties Realty Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 159.4% during the 1st 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 period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 21.8% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 22,244 shares of the company’s stock valued at $726,000 after purchasing an additional 3,981 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of 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 period. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,350,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 28.4% during the second 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. 96.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Essential Properties Realty Trust

(Get Free Report)

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.

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