Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) CFO Sells $186,529.88 in Stock

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) CFO Robert Webb Salisbury sold 5,851 shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.88, for a total value of $186,529.88. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 8,310 shares in the company, valued at approximately $264,922.80. The trade was a 41.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Price Performance

Essential Properties Realty Trust stock traded down $0.36 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $31.35. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,338,067 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,067,576. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 12 month low of $27.44 and a 12 month high of $34.73. The company has a quick ratio of 6.37, a current ratio of 6.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of $6.58 billion, a PE ratio of 24.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.95. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $32.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.93.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s payout ratio is currently 96.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Scotiabank upped their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $36.60.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Essential Properties Realty Trust

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EPRT. Cohen & Steers Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 111.6% during the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 18,611,967 shares of the company’s stock valued at $552,031,000 after buying an additional 9,816,042 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 8.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 11,131,871 shares of the company’s stock valued at $358,488,000 after acquiring an additional 843,877 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,844,570 shares of the company’s stock valued at $232,670,000 after acquiring an additional 421,364 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 3.9% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 7,338,809 shares of the company’s stock worth $234,181,000 after acquiring an additional 276,803 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 1,930,360.7% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,737,308 shares of the company’s stock worth $199,829,000 after purchasing an additional 6,736,959 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

About Essential Properties Realty Trust

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.