COPT Defense Properties (NYSE:CDP) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

COPT Defense Properties (NYSE:CDP) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.390-1.430 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.780. The company issued revenue guidance of -. COPT Defense Properties also updated its Q3 2026 guidance to 0.370-0.390 EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CDP shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on COPT Defense Properties from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of COPT Defense Properties from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of COPT Defense Properties in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $37.00 price target on shares of COPT Defense Properties in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $42.00 price objective on shares of COPT Defense Properties in a research report on Monday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, COPT Defense Properties presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $35.50.

COPT Defense Properties Stock Performance

Shares of CDP stock opened at $38.16 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.50 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a current ratio of 2.85, a quick ratio of 2.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $34.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $32.71. COPT Defense Properties has a 12 month low of $26.91 and a 12 month high of $38.86.

COPT Defense Properties (NYSE:CDP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $197.39 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $189.36 million. COPT Defense Properties had a return on equity of 10.52% and a net margin of 20.94%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.34 earnings per share. COPT Defense Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.390-1.430 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.370-0.390 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that COPT Defense Properties will post 2.78 EPS for the current year.

COPT Defense Properties Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. COPT Defense Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 92.75%.

Insider Activity at COPT Defense Properties

In other news, Director Robert L. Denton sold 3,922 shares of COPT Defense Properties stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.38, for a total transaction of $126,994.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,803 shares in the company, valued at approximately $123,141.14. The trade was a 50.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.66% of the company’s stock.

Key COPT Defense Properties News

Here are the key news stories impacting COPT Defense Properties this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter results beat expectations. COPT Defense reported adjusted funds from operations (FFO) of $0.71 per share, up from $0.68 a year earlier and above the $0.68 consensus estimate. Revenue reached $197.4 million, exceeding expectations of approximately $189.4 million, while reported EPS of $0.40 topped the $0.33 estimate. COPT Defense Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year FFO outlook. The company now targets 2026 FFO of approximately $2.78 per share at the midpoint, supported by better-than-planned first-half performance, leasing activity, occupancy and investment commitments. COPT Defense Raises FFO Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Defense-related demand remains a key growth driver. The Redstone Gateway development is expanding its demand coverage, while the company’s defense and government-focused portfolio and development pipeline provide visibility into future leasing and cash-flow growth. COPT Defense Q2 Earnings Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support improved. BTIG analyst Tom Catherwood initiated coverage with a Buy rating, citing the FFO beat, raised guidance and defense-driven development pipeline as reasons to support a higher valuation. BTIG Initiates Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation may temper further gains. CDP has increased substantially and is trading close to its 52-week high, with a P/E ratio above 26. Investors may therefore require continued earnings and FFO upgrades to justify additional upside. COPT Defense Beat Expectations and Raised Guidance

Institutional Investors Weigh In On COPT Defense Properties

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its position in shares of COPT Defense Properties by 289.9% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 900,047 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,155,000 after acquiring an additional 669,181 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in COPT Defense Properties by 51.8% during the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,896,161 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,713,000 after purchasing an additional 647,449 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in COPT Defense Properties by 323.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 791,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,013,000 after purchasing an additional 604,670 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of COPT Defense Properties by 60.0% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,472,046 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,393,000 after purchasing an additional 551,863 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of COPT Defense Properties by 135.7% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 865,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,052,000 after purchasing an additional 498,175 shares during the period.

COPT Defense Properties Company Profile

COPT Defense Properties (NYSE: CDP) is a real estate investment trust organized to own, lease and manage healthcare and life science facilities serving the United States federal government, with a particular focus on Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs tenants. The company was formed in 2016 through a spin-off from Corporate Office Properties Trust, enabling it to concentrate exclusively on medical office buildings and specialized research facilities situated on or near military and federal research campuses.

The company’s portfolio comprises purpose-built, Class A medical office and outpatient specialty clinics, as well as life science laboratories.