Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) Upgraded to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

EPRT has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Barclays reduced their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Scotiabank raised Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $34.00 to $33.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $37.00 to $34.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eleven have issued a Buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $36.20.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Trading Down 0.1%

EPRT opened at $29.66 on Friday. Essential Properties Realty Trust has a fifty-two week low of $28.95 and a fifty-two week high of $34.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 8.17 and a quick ratio of 8.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.99, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.85. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $31.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.46.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $161.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $156.65 million. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a net margin of 43.51% and a return on equity of 6.34%. The company’s revenue was up 18.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.46 EPS. Essential Properties Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.010-2.050 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Essential Properties Realty Trust will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Essential Properties Realty Trust

In other news, COO Robert M. Jenkins sold 22,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.22, for a total value of $708,840.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 34,168 shares in the company, valued at $1,100,892.96. This trade represents a 39.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.77% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Essential Properties Realty Trust

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EPRT. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 159.4% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 74,147 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,420,000 after purchasing an additional 45,561 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 21.8% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 22,244 shares of the company’s stock worth $726,000 after buying an additional 3,981 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,387,218 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,279,000 after buying an additional 195,057 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,350,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 28.4% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 145,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,652,000 after acquiring an additional 32,254 shares in the last quarter. 96.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.