Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Cuts Stake in Stag Industrial, Inc. $STAG

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lowered its position in shares of Stag Industrial, Inc. (NYSE:STAG) by 4.8% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,746,439 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 88,130 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s holdings in Stag Industrial were worth $64,199,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in STAG. Channing Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Stag Industrial by 8.3% in the 3rd quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 2,186,846 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $77,174,000 after purchasing an additional 167,093 shares in the last quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Stag Industrial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $11,422,000. Versor Investments LP bought a new position in shares of Stag Industrial during the third quarter valued at approximately $922,000. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Stag Industrial during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,127,000. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Stag Industrial by 408.0% during the third quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 129,263 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $4,562,000 after buying an additional 103,820 shares during the period. 88.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stag Industrial Price Performance

Shares of STAG opened at $36.05 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.69 and a beta of 1.04. Stag Industrial, Inc. has a twelve month low of $28.61 and a twelve month high of $39.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a 50 day moving average of $38.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $37.71.

Stag Industrial (NYSE:STAG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.03. Stag Industrial had a return on equity of 7.68% and a net margin of 32.35%.The business had revenue of $220.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $213.66 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Stag Industrial, Inc. will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stag Industrial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.3875 per share. This represents a $1.55 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Stag Industrial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 102.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stag Industrial

In other news, CEO William R. Crooker sold 93,732 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.17, for a total transaction of $3,671,482.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Virgis Colbert sold 18,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.08, for a total transaction of $685,440.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,210 shares in the company, valued at approximately $160,316.80. This trade represents a 81.04% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 136,974 shares of company stock worth $5,345,904. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on STAG. iA Financial set a $39.00 target price on Stag Industrial in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stag Industrial in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Stag Industrial from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Robert W. Baird set a $40.00 target price on Stag Industrial in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Stag Industrial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $39.50.

About Stag Industrial

Stag Industrial, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, ownership and operation of single-tenant industrial properties throughout the United States. The company’s portfolio is focused on free-standing warehouses, distribution centers and light manufacturing facilities designed to meet the logistical needs of a diverse tenant base. By concentrating on properties with straightforward layouts and minimal common-area maintenance, Stag Industrial seeks to deliver stable rental income and attractive risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders.

Since its founding in 2010 and initial public offering in 2011, Stag Industrial has pursued a disciplined investment strategy centered on high-quality, well-located assets.