68,046 CareTrust REIT, Inc. $CTRE Shares Sold by Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC

Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC reduced its stake in CareTrust REIT, Inc. (NYSE:CTRE) by 58.9% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 47,498 shares of the company’s stock after selling 68,046 shares during the quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC’s holdings in CareTrust REIT were worth $1,737,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of CareTrust REIT in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Compass Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of CareTrust REIT during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Signature Equity Partners LLC boosted its stake in CareTrust REIT by 37.8% in the 3rd quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC now owns 1,393 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 382 shares in the last quarter. Burnham & Co LLC acquired a new stake in CareTrust REIT in the 2nd quarter valued at $61,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP acquired a new stake in CareTrust REIT in the 2nd quarter valued at $66,000. 87.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on CTRE. Wedbush set a $44.00 price target on CareTrust REIT in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of CareTrust REIT in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of CareTrust REIT from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Huntington assumed coverage on shares of CareTrust REIT in a report on Thursday, September 10th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $44.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of CareTrust REIT from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $43.71.

CareTrust REIT Stock Performance

NYSE:CTRE opened at $38.62 on Thursday. CareTrust REIT, Inc. has a 1 year low of $34.74 and a 1 year high of $43.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $37.25 and a 200-day moving average of $39.01. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 3.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.77.

CareTrust REIT (NYSE:CTRE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.02. CareTrust REIT had a return on equity of 8.08% and a net margin of 59.18%. The business had revenue of $176.36 million for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that CareTrust REIT, Inc. will post 2.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CareTrust REIT Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th were paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. CareTrust REIT’s payout ratio is currently 98.11%.

CareTrust REIT News Summary

Investors following CTRE have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $46 from $44 and reiterated a Buy rating, signaling a more optimistic view of CTRE’s prospects. UBS analyst recommendation
• Negative Sentiment: CareTrust launched an underwritten public offering of 17 million common shares tied to forward sale agreements. The additional share supply may create dilution concerns and near-term selling pressure; the offering remains subject to market and other conditions. Offering announcement

About CareTrust REIT

CareTrust REIT, Inc. is a real estate investment trust that owns and invests in healthcare-related properties, with a focus on skilled nursing facilities and senior housing. Its portfolio also includes assisted living and other properties that serve older adults and people requiring healthcare services. The company primarily works with healthcare operators through long-term property leases and other real estate investments. CareTrust’s properties are located across the United States, and the company has expanded its investments into the United Kingdom.