Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT Shares Sold by Allianz Asset Management GmbH

Allianz Asset Management GmbH lowered its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 26.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 190,713 shares of the company’s stock after selling 68,650 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust were worth $5,676,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC now owns 5,303 shares of the company’s stock valued at $169,000 after buying an additional 549 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 1.4% during the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 43,461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,386,000 after acquiring an additional 598 shares during the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 7.4% during the second quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,144 shares of the company’s stock valued at $292,000 after acquiring an additional 632 shares during the last quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel raised its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel now owns 98,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,129,000 after acquiring an additional 636 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 54.2% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 656 shares during the last quarter. 96.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EPRT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore cut their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Mizuho increased their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $36.00 price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Essential Properties Realty Trust has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.41.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Up 1.3%

EPRT stock opened at $31.89 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $30.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.72, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.99. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $27.44 and a fifty-two week high of $33.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 5.66 and a current ratio of 5.66.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.00%.

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.