Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $53.96.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $53.25 to $57.50 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $53.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their price target on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Trading Down 1.5 %

Gaming and Leisure Properties stock opened at $50.20 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $13.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $49.14 and a 200-day moving average of $49.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 11.35 and a quick ratio of 11.35. Gaming and Leisure Properties has a one year low of $41.80 and a one year high of $52.60.

Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $389.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $391.54 million. Gaming and Leisure Properties had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 51.65%. On average, equities analysts expect that Gaming and Leisure Properties will post 3.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.06%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Gaming and Leisure Properties’s dividend payout ratio is 105.92%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO Brandon John Moore sold 3,982 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.84, for a total value of $190,498.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 278,634 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,329,850.56. The trade was a 1.41 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Matthew Demchyk sold 1,149 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.80, for a total value of $54,922.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 91,620 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,379,436. This trade represents a 1.24 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 56,064 shares of company stock worth $2,778,908 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 4.37% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Gaming and Leisure Properties

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GLPI. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd acquired a new position in Gaming and Leisure Properties in the fourth quarter valued at about $381,000. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 510,509 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $24,586,000 after buying an additional 55,230 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 12,330 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $594,000 after buying an additional 744 shares in the last quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ bought a new stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,234,000. Finally, Park Square Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties during the 4th quarter worth approximately $52,000. 91.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Gaming and Leisure Properties

Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc engages in the provision of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements. The company was founded on February 13, 2013 and is headquartered in Wyomissing, PA.