Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $24.05 and last traded at $23.7540, with a volume of 649440 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $23.63.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on UE shares. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $25.00 price target on shares of Urban Edge Properties in a research report on Friday. UBS Group raised their price target on Urban Edge Properties from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Urban Edge Properties from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Urban Edge Properties presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $22.80.

Urban Edge Properties Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.56. The company has a market capitalization of $3.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.76 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 2.08.

Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $132.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $119.45 million. Urban Edge Properties had a return on equity of 7.80% and a net margin of 22.20%.Urban Edge Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.480-1.52 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Urban Edge Properties will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Urban Edge Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Urban Edge Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 97.67%.

Insider Activity

In other Urban Edge Properties news, CEO Jeffrey S. Olson sold 161,553 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.73, for a total transaction of $3,510,546.69. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,699 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $493,249.27. This trade represents a 87.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Urban Edge Properties

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UE. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Urban Edge Properties by 426.7% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,322 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,071 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Urban Edge Properties by 2,108.1% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,369 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,307 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Urban Edge Properties during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Urban Edge Properties by 45.3% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,903 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 593 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Urban Edge Properties by 137.8% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,254 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.94% of the company’s stock.

About Urban Edge Properties

Urban Edge Properties is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in owning, operating and developing grocery-anchored shopping centers. The company was formed in January 2017 as a spin-off from Regency Centers Corporation, establishing an independent platform focused on urban and densely populated markets. As a fully integrated REIT, Urban Edge oversees the acquisition, financing, leasing, redevelopment and management of its retail properties.

The company’s portfolio comprises predominantly open-air shopping centers anchored by national and regional supermarket operators.