Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) Shares Bought by Retirement Systems of Alabama

Retirement Systems of Alabama grew its holdings in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) by 0.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 741,438 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 318 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned about 0.27% of Gaming and Leisure Properties worth $35,708,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of GLPI. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 7.8% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 12,259,224 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $641,059,000 after purchasing an additional 889,698 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 1.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,135,195 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $624,356,000 after purchasing an additional 162,484 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 2.7% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,080,860 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $312,316,000 after purchasing an additional 161,689 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 6.6% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 5,534,033 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $284,726,000 after purchasing an additional 341,492 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC grew its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 4,287,118 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $206,468,000 after purchasing an additional 211,657 shares in the last quarter. 91.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:GLPI opened at $49.08 on Thursday. Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. has a 12 month low of $41.80 and a 12 month high of $52.60. The stock has a market cap of $13.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.16, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.99. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $48.54 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.79. 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 Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Investors of record on Friday, December 6th were issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 6th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.19%. Gaming and Leisure Properties’s payout ratio is 106.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on GLPI shares. Mizuho decreased their target price on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $52.00 to $51.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. StockNews.com downgraded Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Barclays started coverage on Gaming and Leisure Properties in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $54.53 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley downgraded 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 decreased their target price on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $53.93.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Gaming and Leisure Properties news, SVP Matthew Demchyk sold 1,149 shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were 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. The trade was a 1.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Brandon John Moore sold 3,982 shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.84, for a total transaction of $190,498.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 278,634 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,329,850.56. This trade represents a 1.41 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 33,222 shares of company stock valued at $1,624,947 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 4.37% of the company’s stock.

About Gaming and Leisure Properties

Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc engages in 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.