EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Short Interest Update

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 4,098,441 shares, a drop of 13.3% from the December 31st total of 4,725,698 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 793,785 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.2 days. Approximately 5.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Approximately 5.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 793,785 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.2 days.

EPR Properties Price Performance

NYSE EPR traded up $1.48 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $55.11. 80,292 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 796,148. The company has a quick ratio of 7.21, a current ratio of 7.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. EPR Properties has a 12-month low of $41.75 and a 12-month high of $61.24. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $51.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $53.49. The company has a market capitalization of $4.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.99.

EPR Properties Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $0.295 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. EPR Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 154.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling at EPR Properties

In other news, EVP Gregory E. Zimmerman sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.89, for a total transaction of $404,175.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 66,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,572,583.66. The trade was a 10.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 2.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of EPR Properties

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EPR. State Street Corp increased its stake in EPR Properties by 1.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,009,669 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $234,760,000 after acquiring an additional 66,562 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of EPR Properties by 42.0% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 1,870,499 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $108,975,000 after purchasing an additional 553,209 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of EPR Properties by 84.8% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,564,309 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $90,746,000 after purchasing an additional 717,734 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in EPR Properties by 29.2% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,544,905 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $88,693,000 after buying an additional 348,908 shares during the period. Finally, LSV Asset Management lifted its position in EPR Properties by 2.8% in the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,293,458 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $75,357,000 after buying an additional 35,792 shares during the last quarter. 74.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on EPR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of EPR Properties from $65.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered EPR Properties from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on EPR Properties from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on EPR Properties from $56.00 to $54.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of EPR Properties in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $58.36.

EPR Properties Company Profile

EPR Properties is a real estate investment trust that specializes in experiential properties across the United States, Canada and select international markets. Established in 1997 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the company targets properties in the entertainment, recreation and education sectors. Its portfolio includes movie theaters, ski resorts, family entertainment centers, charter schools and other venues that benefit from consumer-driven experiences.

The trust employs long-term, triple-net lease agreements, where tenants are responsible for real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance.