Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. Increases Holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. grew its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 22.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,934,243 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 542,275 shares during the quarter. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. owned 1.48% of Essential Properties Realty Trust worth $87,323,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 217.3% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 527,153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,688,000 after acquiring an additional 361,007 shares during the period. Capital Fund Management S.A. grew its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 56.3% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. now owns 92,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,743,000 after purchasing an additional 33,221 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 79.6% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 72,621 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,161,000 after purchasing an additional 32,195 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 15.4% in the 3rd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 13,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $415,000 after purchasing an additional 1,863 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 286,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,524,000 after purchasing an additional 37,635 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EPRT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Scotiabank upped their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Essential Properties Realty Trust has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $36.56.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Trading Down 2.0%

Essential Properties Realty Trust stock opened at $33.02 on Thursday. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 12-month low of $27.44 and a 12-month high of $34.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $31.61 and a 200 day moving average of $30.85. The company has a current ratio of 6.37, a quick ratio of 6.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 96.88%.

Essential Properties Realty Trust 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.