Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Put Options on VICI Properties (NYSE:VICI)

VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Investors acquired 2,777 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 50% compared to the typical daily volume of 1,856 put options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VICI has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of VICI Properties from $35.00 to $30.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Scotiabank downgraded VICI Properties from a “sector outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $36.00 to $30.00 in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $32.00 price target (down from $36.00) on shares of VICI Properties in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Barclays reduced their price objective on VICI Properties from $37.00 to $33.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of VICI Properties in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, VICI Properties currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $33.85.

VICI Properties Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:VICI traded up $0.32 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $30.41. The company had a trading volume of 1,428,317 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,222,169. VICI Properties has a 1-year low of $27.48 and a 1-year high of $34.03. The stock has a market cap of $32.51 billion, a PE ratio of 11.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a quick ratio of 3.60, a current ratio of 3.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $28.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.27.

VICI Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 17th were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 17th. VICI Properties’s payout ratio is presently 68.70%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On VICI Properties

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in VICI Properties in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of VICI Properties during the second quarter worth $27,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of VICI Properties by 489.2% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 872 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 724 shares during the period. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of VICI Properties in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in VICI Properties during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.71% of the company’s stock.

VICI Properties Company Profile

VICI Properties (NYSE: VICI) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in experiential real estate, with a primary focus on gaming, hospitality and entertainment assets. The company acquires, owns and manages a portfolio of destination properties and leases those assets to operators under long-term agreements, generating rental income and partnering on property development and capital projects. VICI was formed in connection with the restructuring of Caesars Entertainment and has since grown through acquisitions and strategic transactions to expand its footprint in the gaming and leisure sector.

The company’s portfolio is concentrated in major U.S.