W.P. Carey Inc. (NYSE:WPC) Short Interest Update

W.P. Carey Inc. (NYSE:WPC) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 11,595,991 shares, a growth of 21.0% from the February 12th total of 9,581,733 shares. Approximately 5.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,874,845 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.2 days. Based on an average trading volume of 1,874,845 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.2 days. Approximately 5.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

W.P. Carey Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE WPC traded up $0.19 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $71.68. The company had a trading volume of 1,314,368 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,377,152. The stock has a market cap of $15.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.87 and a beta of 0.76. W.P. Carey has a 52 week low of $54.24 and a 52 week high of $75.69. The business’s 50-day moving average is $70.83 and its 200-day moving average is $68.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

W.P. Carey (NYSE:WPC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $444.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $433.28 million. W.P. Carey had a net margin of 27.17% and a return on equity of 5.67%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.21 EPS. W.P. Carey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.130-5.230 EPS. Equities analysts expect that W.P. Carey will post 4.87 earnings per share for the current year.

W.P. Carey Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.93 per share. This is a boost from W.P. Carey’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $3.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.2%. W.P. Carey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 174.41%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.P. Carey

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jacobi Capital Management LLC increased its position in W.P. Carey by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Jacobi Capital Management LLC now owns 5,886 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $379,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the period. Gen Wealth Partners Inc increased its holdings in W.P. Carey by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Gen Wealth Partners Inc now owns 7,572 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $487,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the period. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. raised its stake in W.P. Carey by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. now owns 2,511 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $162,000 after buying an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Brookwood Investment Group LLC raised its stake in W.P. Carey by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Brookwood Investment Group LLC now owns 8,936 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $575,000 after buying an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Austin Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in W.P. Carey by 2.1% during the third quarter. Austin Private Wealth LLC now owns 7,654 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $517,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.73% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on WPC. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of W.P. Carey from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of W.P. Carey in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Evercore set a $74.00 price objective on shares of W.P. Carey in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of W.P. Carey from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on W.P. Carey from $60.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $71.44.

W.P. Carey Company Profile

W. P. Carey Inc is a diversified net-lease real estate investment trust specializing in single-tenant commercial properties. The company structures sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions to provide long-term net lease financing across a variety of asset classes, including industrial facilities, office buildings, retail centers and self-storage facilities. By employing triple net leases, W. P. Carey transfers property operating expenses, taxes and maintenance responsibility to tenants, creating a stable, predictable income stream for investors.

Founded in 1973 by William Polk Carey, the firm has expanded organically and through strategic mergers and acquisitions.