Franklin Resources Inc. Lowers Stock Position in American Assets Trust, Inc. (NYSE:AAT)

Franklin Resources Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of American Assets Trust, Inc. (NYSE:AAT) by 2.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 71,677 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 1,644 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in American Assets Trust were worth $1,949,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its stake in American Assets Trust by 2.3% during the third quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 17,076 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $456,000 after acquiring an additional 388 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Assets Trust by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 15,504 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $414,000 after buying an additional 446 shares during the last quarter. Custom Index Systems LLC increased its position in American Assets Trust by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Custom Index Systems LLC now owns 10,697 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $239,000 after buying an additional 463 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in American Assets Trust by 34.8% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 1,891 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 488 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in American Assets Trust by 2.2% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 27,052 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $605,000 after buying an additional 571 shares during the last quarter. 90.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Assets Trust Stock Performance

AAT stock opened at $26.51 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.83. The company has a current ratio of 8.53, a quick ratio of 8.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. American Assets Trust, Inc. has a 12-month low of $20.03 and a 12-month high of $29.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.61 billion, a PE ratio of 29.13 and a beta of 1.30.

American Assets Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 5th were issued a dividend of $0.335 per share. This represents a $1.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.05%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 5th. American Assets Trust’s payout ratio is currently 147.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AAT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on American Assets Trust from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of American Assets Trust from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th.

Insider Activity at American Assets Trust

In other news, COO Adam Wyll sold 30,238 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.22, for a total transaction of $853,316.36. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 45,595 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,286,690.90. This represents a 39.87 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 37.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About American Assets Trust

American Assets Trust, Inc is a full service, vertically integrated and self-administered real estate investment trust ("REIT"), headquartered in San Diego, California. The company has over 55 years of experience in acquiring, improving, developing and managing premier office, retail, and residential properties throughout the United States in some of the nation's most dynamic, high-barrier-to-entry markets primarily in Southern California, Northern California, Washington, Oregon, Texas and Hawaii.