Brokerages Set Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) Price Target at $35.41

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $35.4091.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on EPRT. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $37.00 price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $36.00 price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 15th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essential Properties Realty Trust

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 11.9% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,110 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 436 shares during the last quarter. M&G PLC lifted its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 8.2% during the third quarter. M&G PLC now owns 6,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $203,000 after acquiring an additional 514 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 40.1% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,883 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the period. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC raised its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 11.5% during the second quarter. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC now owns 5,303 shares of the company’s stock worth $169,000 after purchasing an additional 549 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 24.8% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,861 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Price Performance

Shares of EPRT stock opened at $30.40 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 5.66, a quick ratio of 5.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.52, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $30.44 and its 200-day moving average is $30.44. Essential Properties Realty Trust has a 1 year low of $27.44 and a 1 year high of $33.35.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently 100.00%.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Company Profile

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.