Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI) Sees Large Volume Increase – Still a Buy?

Shares of Sun Communities, Inc. (NYSE:SUI) saw strong trading volume on Friday . 767,998 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 20% from the previous session’s volume of 964,211 shares.The stock last traded at $121.4750 and had previously closed at $120.00.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on SUI. Jefferies Financial Group raised Sun Communities to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Sun Communities from $150.00 to $142.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Odeon Capital Group set a $135.00 price target on shares of Sun Communities in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Colliers Securities upgraded shares of Sun Communities from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Sun Communities from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.05.

Sun Communities Trading Up 0.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 3.39 and a current ratio of 3.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.90 billion, a PE ratio of 10.98, a PEG ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.79. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $122.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $126.44.

Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.31 by ($1.38). The firm had revenue of $500.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $472.40 million. Sun Communities had a return on equity of 0.16% and a net margin of 62.29%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.26 earnings per share. Sun Communities has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.710-1.790 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.870-7.070 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Sun Communities, Inc. will post 6.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Sun Communities Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. Sun Communities’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sun Communities

In related news, Director Gary A. Shiffman sold 25,031 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.96, for a total transaction of $3,002,718.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 857,761 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,897,009.56. This trade represents a 2.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Fernando Castro-Caratini sold 23,750 shares of Sun Communities stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.43, for a total value of $2,955,212.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 9,998 shares in the company, valued at $1,244,051.14. This trade represents a 70.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 1.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sun Communities

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Whittier Trust Co. raised its stake in shares of Sun Communities by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 264,511 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $32,495,000 after acquiring an additional 21,364 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its stake in shares of Sun Communities by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 110,415 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $13,564,000 after acquiring an additional 9,268 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in shares of Sun Communities by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,080,585 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $133,895,000 after buying an additional 65,053 shares during the period. Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co purchased a new stake in Sun Communities in the fourth quarter worth about $1,549,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sun Communities by 503.7% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 78,736 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $9,673,000 after purchasing an additional 65,694 shares in the last quarter. 99.59% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Sun Communities

Sun Communities, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, ownership and operation of manufactured housing communities, recreational vehicle (RV) resorts and marinas. The company’s portfolio spans more than 500 manufactured housing communities and over 160 RV resorts, offering affordable, long-term housing as well as short-stay recreational lodging. Through professional on-site management and amenity-rich community designs, Sun Communities serves a diverse customer base that includes retirees, workforce families and vacationers.

Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, Sun Communities has grown organically and through strategic acquisitions to become one of the largest operators in its sector.