Stag Industrial (NYSE:STAG) Sets New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Stag Industrial, Inc. (NYSE:STAG)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $39.98 and last traded at $39.3380, with a volume of 68614 shares. The stock had previously closed at $39.53.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

STAG has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stag Industrial in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Stag Industrial in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Stag Industrial from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Stag Industrial from $38.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $39.00 price objective (down from $40.00) on shares of Stag Industrial in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $39.50.

Stag Industrial Stock Down 1.2%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.56 and a beta of 1.06. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.38.

Stag Industrial (NYSE:STAG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.03. Stag Industrial had a return on equity of 7.68% and a net margin of 32.35%.The company had revenue of $220.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $213.66 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Stag Industrial, Inc. will post 2.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stag Industrial Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a $0.3875 dividend. This represents a $1.55 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. Stag Industrial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 102.05%.

Insider Transactions at Stag Industrial

In other news, EVP Matts Pinard sold 25,242 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.18, for a total transaction of $988,981.56. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 951 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,260.18. This represents a 96.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO William R. Crooker sold 93,732 shares of Stag Industrial stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.17, for a total value of $3,671,482.44. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 136,974 shares of company stock worth $5,345,904 over the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in STAG. Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of Stag Industrial by 3.5% during the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 7,639 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $270,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its holdings in Stag Industrial by 4.7% during the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 6,230 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $220,000 after buying an additional 282 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Stag Industrial by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 8,275 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $300,000 after acquiring an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC increased its stake in shares of Stag Industrial by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 10,875 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $384,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFG Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Stag Industrial by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 11,118 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $392,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.67% of the company’s stock.

Stag Industrial Company Profile

Stag Industrial, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, ownership and operation of single-tenant industrial properties throughout the United States. The company’s portfolio is focused on free-standing warehouses, distribution centers and light manufacturing facilities designed to meet the logistical needs of a diverse tenant base. By concentrating on properties with straightforward layouts and minimal common-area maintenance, Stag Industrial seeks to deliver stable rental income and attractive risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders.

Since its founding in 2010 and initial public offering in 2011, Stag Industrial has pursued a disciplined investment strategy centered on high-quality, well-located assets.