VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 28,855,576 shares, an increase of 18.7% from the February 12th total of 24,314,043 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 10,175,514 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.8 days. Currently, 2.7% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 2.7% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 10,175,514 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.8 days.

VICI Properties Price Performance

Shares of VICI traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $28.63. 9,948,201 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,650,937. The company has a quick ratio of 3.17, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. VICI Properties has a 52-week low of $27.48 and a 52-week high of $34.01. The company has a market cap of $30.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.97, a PEG ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $28.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.84.

VICI Properties (NYSE:VICI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.57 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by ($0.03). VICI Properties had a net margin of 69.28% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The company had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.57 EPS. VICI Properties’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. VICI Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.420-2.450 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that VICI Properties will post 2.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

VICI Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 19th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 19th. VICI Properties’s dividend payout ratio is 68.97%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On VICI Properties

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in shares of VICI Properties by 34.1% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 831,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,393,000 after buying an additional 211,311 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors boosted its position in VICI Properties by 160.4% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 29,563 shares of the company’s stock worth $831,000 after acquiring an additional 18,210 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in VICI Properties by 8.0% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 8,433,668 shares of the company’s stock worth $237,187,000 after acquiring an additional 622,099 shares during the period. Bayban purchased a new stake in VICI Properties in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Rehmann Capital Advisory Group raised its holdings in VICI Properties by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 8,686 shares of the company’s stock valued at $244,000 after acquiring an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. 97.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on VICI shares. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $33.00 target price on shares of VICI Properties in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $30.00 price target on shares of VICI Properties in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on VICI Properties from $36.00 to $34.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Evercore reissued an “in-line” rating and issued a $32.00 price objective (down from $36.00) on shares of VICI Properties in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on VICI Properties from $37.00 to $33.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $33.69.

About VICI Properties

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.