EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 2,850,000 shares, an increase of 20.3% from the February 13th total of 2,370,000 shares. Approximately 3.8% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 668,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.3 days.

EPR Properties Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE EPR traded down $0.03 on Thursday, hitting $51.30. 116,804 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 697,964. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 7.81 and a quick ratio of 7.81. EPR Properties has a twelve month low of $39.65 and a twelve month high of $54.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.21 and a beta of 1.72. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $48.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.21.

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.56. EPR Properties had a net margin of 28.87% and a return on equity of 8.22%. The business had revenue of $149.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $161.25 million. Analysts predict that EPR Properties will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

EPR Properties Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.295 dividend. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This is a boost from EPR Properties’s previous monthly dividend of $0.29. EPR Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 221.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EPR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on EPR Properties from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on EPR Properties from $46.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on EPR Properties from $50.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of EPR Properties from $45.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Tonya L. Mater sold 3,120 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.90, for a total value of $161,928.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 46,827 shares in the company, valued at $2,430,321.30. This represents a 6.25 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Gwendolyn Mary Johnson sold 3,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.02, for a total transaction of $210,678.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 8,216 shares in the company, valued at approximately $443,828.32. The trade was a 32.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 9,520 shares of company stock worth $502,581. Insiders own 2.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EPR. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in EPR Properties during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EPR Properties during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in EPR Properties by 36.6% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,127 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. increased its stake in EPR Properties by 54.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,296 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 457 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. purchased a new stake in EPR Properties in the 4th quarter worth approximately $60,000. 74.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

EPR Properties Company Profile

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) is the leading diversified experiential net lease real estate investment trust (REIT), specializing in select enduring experiential properties in the real estate industry. We focus on real estate venues that create value by facilitating out of home leisure and recreation experiences where consumers choose to spend their discretionary time and money.