Aberdeen Group plc Increases Position in EPR Properties $EPR

Aberdeen Group plc lifted its stake in EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) by 10.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 458,931 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after purchasing an additional 44,810 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc’s holdings in EPR Properties were worth $26,361,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in EPR Properties by 99.6% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 461 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new stake in shares of EPR Properties in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P purchased a new position in EPR Properties in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in EPR Properties by 4,964.7% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 861 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 844 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. raised its holdings in EPR Properties by 201.6% during the second quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 938 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 627 shares during the last quarter. 74.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other EPR Properties news, EVP Gregory E. Zimmerman sold 7,500 shares of EPR Properties stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.89, for a total value of $404,175.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 66,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,572,583.66. The trade was a 10.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.31% of the company’s stock.

EPR Properties Trading Up 0.1%

EPR Properties stock opened at $58.52 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $53.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $53.48. EPR Properties has a 52 week low of $41.75 and a 52 week high of $61.24. The stock has a market cap of $4.46 billion, a PE ratio of 25.55, a P/E/G ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 7.21, a quick ratio of 7.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

EPR Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.295 dividend. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. EPR Properties’s payout ratio is currently 154.59%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on EPR shares. Wall Street Zen lowered EPR Properties from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of EPR Properties in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $58.00 target price on shares of EPR Properties in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of EPR Properties from $56.00 to $54.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of EPR Properties from $65.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, EPR Properties presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $58.36.

About EPR Properties

EPR Properties is a real estate investment trust that specializes in experiential properties across the United States, Canada and select international markets. Established in 1997 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the company targets properties in the entertainment, recreation and education sectors. Its portfolio includes movie theaters, ski resorts, family entertainment centers, charter schools and other venues that benefit from consumer-driven experiences.

The trust employs long-term, triple-net lease agreements, where tenants are responsible for real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance.