Robert Webb Salisbury Sells 5,851 Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) Stock

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) CFO Robert Webb Salisbury sold 5,851 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.88, for a total transaction of $186,529.88. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 8,310 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $264,922.80. This trade represents a 41.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Down 0.7%

Essential Properties Realty Trust stock opened at $31.07 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 6.37 and a quick ratio of 6.37. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 1-year low of $27.44 and a 1-year high of $34.73. The stock has a market cap of $6.52 billion, a PE ratio of 24.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.95. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $32.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.93.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essential Properties Realty Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 15.3% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 16,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $495,000 after purchasing an additional 2,215 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 273.6% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,614 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 1,182 shares in the last quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. grew its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. now owns 26,375 shares of the company’s stock worth $782,000 after buying an additional 4,400 shares during the period. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the fourth quarter worth about $99,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 25,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $770,000 after buying an additional 1,962 shares in the last quarter. 96.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on EPRT. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Mizuho raised their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Barclays reaffirmed 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. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Essential Properties Realty Trust currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.60.

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.