Schroder Investment Management Group Sells 393,727 Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Schroder Investment Management Group trimmed its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 27.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,057,687 shares of the company’s stock after selling 393,727 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group’s holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust were worth $31,011,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of EPRT. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the third quarter valued at about $46,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 54.2% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 656 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the third quarter worth about $61,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 24.8% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,861 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after buying an additional 569 shares during the period. 96.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Performance

EPRT opened at $33.02 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 6.37 and a current ratio of 6.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.80, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a fifty day moving average of $31.61 and a 200 day moving average of $30.85. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $27.44 and a fifty-two week high of $34.73.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 96.88%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EPRT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $36.56.

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.