Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT Shares Acquired by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 39.8% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,290,212 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 651,782 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust were worth $68,157,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the third quarter worth $46,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 54.2% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 656 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Essential Properties Realty Trust during the third quarter valued at $61,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in 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 valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 569 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Performance

NYSE EPRT opened at $33.24 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.97, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $30.72 and a 200 day moving average of $30.59. The company has a current ratio of 6.37, a quick ratio of 6.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a twelve month low of $27.44 and a twelve month high of $33.35.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.31 per share. This is a positive change from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s payout ratio is 96.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on EPRT shares. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $37.00 price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Essential Properties Realty Trust currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $35.67.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Company 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.