AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) Shares Sold by Schnieders Capital Management LLC

Schnieders Capital Management LLC reduced its holdings in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) by 31.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,527 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 699 shares during the quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC’s holdings in AvalonBay Communities were worth $286,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in AvalonBay Communities in the fourth quarter valued at $196,000. Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in AvalonBay Communities by 182.8% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 143,037 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $26,779,000 after purchasing an additional 92,463 shares during the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its stake in AvalonBay Communities by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 2,301 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Trust Company N.A purchased a new stake in AvalonBay Communities during the fourth quarter valued at about $249,000. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its position in AvalonBay Communities by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 67,229 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $12,587,000 after acquiring an additional 1,881 shares during the period. 92.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at AvalonBay Communities

In other AvalonBay Communities news, EVP Joanne M. Lockridge sold 1,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.10, for a total transaction of $323,925.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 21,907 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,054,985.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, CFO Kevin P. O’shea sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.65, for a total value of $928,250.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 31,308 shares in the company, valued at $5,812,330.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Joanne M. Lockridge sold 1,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.10, for a total value of $323,925.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 21,907 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,054,985.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.48% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVB has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $191.00 price target on shares of AvalonBay Communities in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $207.00 price target on shares of AvalonBay Communities in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $185.00 price target on shares of AvalonBay Communities in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Mizuho lowered their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $188.00 to $185.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $201.00 to $197.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AvalonBay Communities presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $196.78.

AvalonBay Communities Stock Performance

Shares of AVB traded up $2.68 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $191.34. 886,943 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 808,686. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a 1-year low of $160.45 and a 1-year high of $198.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.20 billion, a PE ratio of 28.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.44. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $181.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $178.34.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.73 by ($1.03). AvalonBay Communities had a net margin of 33.56% and a return on equity of 7.98%. The firm had revenue of $704.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $701.67 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.59 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 10.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AvalonBay Communities Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th were issued a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.55%. This is an increase from AvalonBay Communities’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.65. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. AvalonBay Communities’s dividend payout ratio is presently 103.82%.

AvalonBay Communities Company Profile

As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 299 apartment communities containing 90,669 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which 18 communities were under development. The Company is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California, as well as in the Company's expansion regions of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, Southeast Florida, Dallas and Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado.