EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Sets New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $54.12 and last traded at $54.15, with a volume of 136781 shares. The stock had previously closed at $53.07.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $50.00 price target on shares of EPR Properties in a report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of EPR Properties in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $48.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of EPR Properties from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $48.50.

EPR Properties Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 7.81, a current ratio of 7.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market cap of $4.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.40 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $46.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $46.68.

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.56. The firm had revenue of $149.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $161.25 million. EPR Properties had a net margin of 28.87% and a return on equity of 8.22%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that EPR Properties will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

EPR Properties Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.295 per share. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.55%. This is a positive change from EPR Properties’s previous monthly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. EPR Properties’s payout ratio is presently 213.75%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On EPR Properties

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EPR. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in EPR Properties in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EPR Properties in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in EPR Properties by 36.6% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,127 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. grew its holdings in EPR Properties by 54.5% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,296 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 457 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new position in EPR Properties during the fourth quarter worth about $60,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.66% of the company’s stock.

About EPR Properties

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) is the leading diversified experiential net lease real estate investment trust (REIT), specializing in select enduring experiential properties in the real estate industry. We focus on real estate venues that create value by facilitating out of home leisure and recreation experiences where consumers choose to spend their discretionary time and money.