VICI Properties Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:VICI)

VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) saw unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Investors acquired 2,777 put options on the company. This is an increase of 50% compared to the average daily volume of 1,856 put options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore reissued an “in-line” rating and issued a $32.00 price target (down previously from $36.00) on shares of VICI Properties in a report on Monday, December 1st. Mizuho dropped their target price on VICI Properties from $35.00 to $30.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Barclays cut their price target on VICI Properties from $37.00 to $33.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $33.00 price objective on VICI Properties in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of VICI Properties in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $33.85.

VICI Properties Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:VICI traded up $0.32 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $30.41. The stock had a trading volume of 1,428,317 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,222,169. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $28.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $30.27. VICI Properties has a twelve month low of $27.48 and a twelve month high of $34.03. The firm has a market cap of $32.51 billion, a PE ratio of 11.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a current ratio of 3.60, a quick ratio of 3.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

VICI Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 17th. VICI Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 68.70%.

Institutional Trading of VICI Properties

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in VICI. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in VICI Properties by 5.2% in the third quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,623 shares of the company’s stock valued at $216,000 after acquiring an additional 329 shares during the period. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of VICI Properties by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,110 shares of the company’s stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of VICI Properties by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 10,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares in the last quarter. Heritage Wealth Advisors grew its position in shares of VICI Properties by 18.9% in the 2nd quarter. Heritage Wealth Advisors now owns 2,200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares during the period. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its stake in VICI Properties by 32.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 1,424 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.71% of the company’s stock.

About VICI Properties

VICI Properties (NYSE: VICI) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in experiential real estate, with a primary focus on gaming, hospitality and entertainment assets. The company acquires, owns and manages a portfolio of destination properties and leases those assets to operators under long-term agreements, generating rental income and partnering on property development and capital projects. VICI was formed in connection with the restructuring of Caesars Entertainment and has since grown through acquisitions and strategic transactions to expand its footprint in the gaming and leisure sector.

The company’s portfolio is concentrated in major U.S.