Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $68.5179.

ELS has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays set a $69.00 target price on shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Odeon Capital Group set a $65.00 target price on Equity Lifestyle Properties in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley restated a “mixed” rating and set a $59.00 price target (down from $62.50) on shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Equity Lifestyle Properties from $70.00 to $69.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ELS. Wiser Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in Equity Lifestyle Properties in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties by 126.8% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 415 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in Equity Lifestyle Properties by 943.8% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 501 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 453 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC raised its holdings in Equity Lifestyle Properties by 74.8% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 540 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fulcrum Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. 97.21% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Equity Lifestyle Properties Stock Down 1.2%

ELS stock opened at $61.12 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.86 billion, a PE ratio of 29.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 0.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Equity Lifestyle Properties has a 52 week low of $58.72 and a 52 week high of $69.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $64.68 and a 200 day moving average of $64.35.

Equity Lifestyle Properties (NYSE:ELS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by ($0.22). The firm had revenue of $397.81 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $383.66 million. Equity Lifestyle Properties had a return on equity of 22.31% and a net margin of 25.92%.The business’s revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.69 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Equity Lifestyle Properties will post 3.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Equity Lifestyle Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 25th will be given a dividend of $0.5425 per share. This represents a $2.17 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 25th. Equity Lifestyle Properties’s payout ratio is presently 104.33%.

About Equity Lifestyle Properties

Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc (NYSE: ELS) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust specializing in the acquisition, development, ownership and operation of manufactured home communities and recreational vehicle resorts. The company’s portfolio includes more than 450 properties across the United States and Canada, serving over 200,000 residents and visitors. ELS organizes its operations into two primary segments: manufactured housing communities, which provide long-term housing solutions, and upscale RV and seasonal resorts designed for leisure travelers and seasonal patrons.

In its manufactured home division, ELS offers home-site leases combined with community amenities such as landscaped common areas, clubhouses, swimming pools and organized resident events.