Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) Receives $54.00 Average Price Target from Analysts

Shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $54.00.

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on GLPI shares. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $52.00 price target (up previously from $51.00) on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $49.00 to $54.00 in a report on Friday, December 13th. StockNews.com downgraded Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $53.25 to $57.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $49.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Stock Up 0.2 %

Gaming and Leisure Properties stock opened at $47.86 on Thursday. Gaming and Leisure Properties has a twelve month low of $41.80 and a twelve month high of $52.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 11.35 and a current ratio of 11.35. The firm has a market cap of $13.13 billion, a PE ratio of 16.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.98. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $49.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.43.

Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.25). The firm had revenue of $385.34 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $385.09 million. Gaming and Leisure Properties had a return on equity of 17.31% and a net margin of 51.93%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.92 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Gaming and Leisure Properties will post 3.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th were given a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 6th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.35%. Gaming and Leisure Properties’s dividend payout ratio is 106.29%.

Insider Transactions at Gaming and Leisure Properties

In other news, Director E Scott Urdang sold 3,000 shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.39, for a total transaction of $151,170.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 146,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,397,252. This trade represents a 2.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 4.37% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of GLPI. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC bought a new stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties in the 3rd quarter valued at $693,000. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp increased its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 63.1% in the second quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 51,991 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $2,351,000 after acquiring an additional 20,111 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 11.4% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 539,593 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $24,395,000 after acquiring an additional 55,385 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC raised its position in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 76.1% in the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 32,316 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,646,000 after purchasing an additional 13,965 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zacks Investment Management lifted its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 10.9% during the third quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 522,197 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $26,867,000 after purchasing an additional 51,398 shares during the period. 91.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Gaming and Leisure Properties

GLPI is engaged in the business of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements, pursuant to which the tenant is responsible for all facility maintenance, insurance required in connection with the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties, taxes levied on or with respect to the leased properties and all utilities and other services necessary or appropriate for the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties.