A Joseph Peil Sells 19,657 Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) Stock

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) VP A Joseph Peil sold 19,657 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.10, for a total transaction of $630,989.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 76,525 shares in the company, valued at $2,456,452.50. This represents a 20.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Performance

Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock traded down $0.36 during trading on Monday, hitting $31.35. 2,338,067 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,067,576. The stock has a market cap of $6.58 billion, a PE ratio of 24.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.95. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $32.03 and its 200 day moving average is $30.93. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 12 month low of $27.44 and a 12 month high of $34.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 6.37 and a current ratio of 6.37.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

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 given a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 96.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on EPRT. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. 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 note on Monday, March 9th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. 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, March 9th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Essential Properties Realty Trust from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $35.00 to $37.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Essential Properties Realty Trust has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $36.60.

Institutional Trading of Essential Properties Realty Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 82.0% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 405 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp increased its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 146.9% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 1,131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 673 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 664.4% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,590 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 1,382 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

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.