Kennedy Capital Management LLC Boosts Stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Kennedy Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 62.5% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 517,445 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 199,083 shares during the quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust were worth $15,399,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of EPRT. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 8.9% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,284,712 shares of the company’s stock valued at $104,815,000 after acquiring an additional 267,226 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,242,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 139.6% during the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 118,698 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,532,000 after purchasing an additional 69,157 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 2,890.8% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 22,192 shares of the company’s stock worth $708,000 after buying an additional 21,450 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. grew its stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. now owns 2,391,968 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,328,000 after buying an additional 169,413 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of EPRT stock traded up $0.28 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $33.30. The stock had a trading volume of 210,937 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,953,161. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.99 billion, a PE ratio of 26.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.95. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $31.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.86. The company has a current ratio of 6.37, a quick ratio of 6.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 52-week low of $27.44 and a 52-week high of $34.73.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s payout ratio is currently 96.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $37.00 target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $36.56.

About Essential Properties Realty Trust

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.