Safehold Inc. (NYSE:SAFE) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Safehold Inc. (NYSE:SAFE) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,593,241 shares, a decrease of 24.3% from the December 15th total of 3,423,453 shares. Approximately 3.7% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 514,083 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.0 days. Based on an average trading volume of 514,083 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.0 days. Approximately 3.7% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Safehold Stock Down 0.4%

Safehold stock traded down $0.06 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $15.00. The stock had a trading volume of 436,799 shares, compared to its average volume of 472,468. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $13.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.79. Safehold has a 12 month low of $12.76 and a 12 month high of $19.53. The company has a current ratio of 36.91, a quick ratio of 36.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The company has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.55, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.84.

Safehold (NYSE:SAFE) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $96.16 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $95.25 million. Safehold had a return on equity of 4.78% and a net margin of 29.67%.Safehold’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.37 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Safehold will post 1.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Safehold Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 30th were issued a dividend of $0.177 per share. This represents a $0.71 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 30th. Safehold’s dividend payout ratio is 45.22%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SAFE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $17.00 price target on Safehold and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Safehold from $20.00 to $17.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Safehold in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Safehold in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Safehold in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Safehold currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Safehold

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SAFE. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in Safehold by 928.2% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,861 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,680 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Safehold by 115.0% in the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 3,344 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 1,789 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Safehold during the 3rd quarter valued at $57,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Safehold by 117.2% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,923 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 2,117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Safehold by 179.1% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 4,225 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 2,711 shares during the period. 70.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Safehold

Safehold Inc is a real estate investment trust that seeks to redefine land ownership for commercial property owners. The company acquires perpetual ground leases from landowners and structures long-term leaseback arrangements, enabling building owners to unlock the value of underlying land without relinquishing operational control of their properties. By separating land ownership from building ownership, Safehold offers an alternative to traditional mortgage financing and land sale–leaseback transactions.

Safehold’s portfolio spans multiple commercial real estate sectors, including office, multifamily, industrial and retail, with a focus on high-quality properties in major U.S.