Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) Upgraded to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on EPRT. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $37.00 to $34.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $36.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of 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. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $36.41.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Performance

NYSE EPRT opened at $29.37 on Friday. Essential Properties Realty Trust has a 1-year low of $28.95 and a 1-year high of $34.73. The company has a market capitalization of $6.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.12, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $31.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 5.12 and a quick ratio of 5.12.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The company reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $158.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $151.87 million. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a return on equity of 6.30% and a net margin of 43.46%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.45 earnings per share. Essential Properties Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.000-2.050 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Essential Properties Realty Trust will post 1.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Essential Properties Realty Trust

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cohen & Steers Inc. raised its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 111.6% in the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 18,611,967 shares of the company’s stock worth $552,031,000 after buying an additional 9,816,042 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 1,930,360.7% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,737,308 shares of the company’s stock valued at $199,829,000 after acquiring an additional 6,736,959 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 4,681.4% during the fourth quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 3,997,593 shares of the company’s stock worth $118,569,000 after acquiring an additional 3,913,986 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 195.4% during the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,970,789 shares of the company’s stock worth $118,171,000 after acquiring an additional 2,626,478 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 4th quarter worth about $68,467,000. 96.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Company 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.