Handelsbanken Fonder AB Acquires 213,800 Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 768,100 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 213,800 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust were worth $22,859,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust during the third quarter worth approximately $215,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 5.4% in the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 150,694 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,485,000 after buying an additional 7,781 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 21.3% during the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 120,086 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,574,000 after buying an additional 21,094 shares in the last quarter. M&G PLC increased its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 6,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $203,000 after acquiring an additional 514 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 39.8% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,290,212 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,157,000 after acquiring an additional 651,782 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EPRT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Scotiabank upped their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $37.00 target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.67.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Price Performance

EPRT stock opened at $33.94 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $7.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 6.37 and a quick ratio of 6.37. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $30.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.66. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 1 year low of $27.44 and a 1 year high of $34.38.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. This is a boost from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 96.88%.

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.