EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Upgraded to Outperform by Royal Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note published on Monday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has $50.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $48.00.

Several other research analysts have also commented on EPR. JMP Securities restated a market perform rating on shares of EPR Properties in a report on Friday, June 14th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of EPR Properties from $42.50 to $47.50 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Bank of America downgraded shares of EPR Properties from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $45.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Monday, May 20th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of EPR Properties from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $47.50.

EPR Properties Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE EPR opened at $43.58 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 11.12, a quick ratio of 8.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. EPR Properties has a 12 month low of $39.65 and a 12 month high of $49.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.30 billion, a PE ratio of 21.47 and a beta of 1.73. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $42.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $42.12.

EPR Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $0.285 per share. This represents a $3.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 31st. EPR Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 168.47%.

Insider Activity at EPR Properties

In related news, SVP Gwendolyn Mary Johnson sold 592 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.82, for a total transaction of $25,941.44. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 5,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $253,279.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EPR Properties

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in EPR Properties during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in EPR Properties by 262.2% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 594 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 430 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in EPR Properties during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in EPR Properties during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in EPR Properties by 53.7% during the 1st quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 902 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 315 shares during the period. Institutional investors 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.