EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Hits New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) reached a new 52-week high 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on EPR Properties from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of EPR Properties in a report on Thursday, November 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $48.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of EPR Properties in a report on Thursday, January 30th. 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, EPR Properties presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.50.

EPR Properties Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 7.81 and a current ratio of 7.81. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $47.24 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.81. The firm has a market cap of $4.04 billion, a PE ratio of 23.10 and a beta of 1.75.

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Equities analysts predict that EPR Properties will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

EPR Properties Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.295 dividend. This is an increase from EPR Properties’s previous monthly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.63%. EPR Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 213.75%.

Insider Activity at EPR Properties

In other news, SVP Gwendolyn Mary Johnson sold 3,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.02, for a total value of $210,678.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 8,216 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $443,828.32. This represents a 32.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 2.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EPR Properties

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in EPR Properties in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of EPR Properties in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of EPR Properties by 36.6% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,127 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in EPR Properties by 54.5% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,296 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 457 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new position in EPR Properties in the 4th quarter valued at $60,000. 74.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

EPR Properties Company Profile

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.