Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Cuts Stock Holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH trimmed its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 23.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 848,983 shares of the company’s stock after selling 265,024 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH’s holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust were worth $25,266,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TD Private Client Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 54.2% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 656 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 $30.27 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.49. The company has a market capitalization of $6.00 billion, a PE ratio of 24.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.99. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a twelve month low of $27.44 and a twelve month high of $33.35. The company has a current ratio of 5.66, a quick ratio of 5.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.48. The firm had revenue of $144.93 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $140.42 million. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a net margin of 45.25% and a return on equity of 6.38%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus set a $36.00 price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Friday, October 31st. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Scotiabank raised their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and set a $37.00 price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.41.

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.