Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Lowers Holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 15.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,448,314 shares of the company’s stock after selling 264,486 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned about 0.83% of Essential Properties Realty Trust worth $45,303,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,033,209 shares of the company’s stock valued at $345,535,000 after buying an additional 96,615 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,468,922 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,642,000 after buying an additional 118,927 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 4,138,674 shares of the company’s stock valued at $141,336,000 after buying an additional 76,475 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 18.9% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,948,952 shares of the company’s stock valued at $92,246,000 after buying an additional 469,610 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,872,955 shares of the company’s stock valued at $89,866,000 after buying an additional 43,179 shares in the last quarter. 96.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Essential Properties Realty Trust

In other news, Director Stephen D. Sautel sold 12,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.54, for a total value of $406,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 178,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,817,663.90. This trade represents a 6.53 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Price Performance

Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock opened at $31.86 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $5.98 billion, a PE ratio of 27.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.36. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 12-month low of $24.72 and a 12-month high of $34.88. The company has a quick ratio of 5.36, a current ratio of 5.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.67 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $32.39.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.14. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a net margin of 45.15% and a return on equity of 6.12%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. will post 1.83 EPS for the current year.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.295 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.70%. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is 103.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on EPRT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. They set a “buy” rating and a $38.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Capital One Financial initiated coverage on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $35.00 target price on the stock. B. Riley lowered shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their target price for the company from $29.50 to $33.50 in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Scotiabank reduced their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 28th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.48.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Profile

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc, a real estate company, acquires, owns, and manages single-tenant properties in the United States. The company leases its properties to middle-market companies, such as restaurants, car washes, automotive services, medical and dental services, convenience stores, equipment rental, entertainment, early childhood education, grocery, and health and fitness on a long-term basis.