Kennedy Capital Management LLC Has $17.28 Million Position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Kennedy Capital Management LLC increased its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 12.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 582,586 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 65,141 shares during the period. Kennedy Capital Management LLC owned 0.28% of Essential Properties Realty Trust worth $17,280,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lido Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 9,714 shares of the company’s stock worth $292,000 after buying an additional 346 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 82.0% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 11.9% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,110 shares of the company’s stock valued at $122,000 after purchasing an additional 436 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S grew its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 26.3% during the fourth quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 2,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GSI Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. GSI Capital Advisors LLC now owns 147,682 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,380,000 after purchasing an additional 510 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.98% of the company’s stock.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of EPRT stock opened at $30.86 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.88. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a one year low of $28.95 and a one year high of $34.73. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $31.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 5.12 and a quick ratio of 5.12.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The company reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $158.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $151.87 million. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a return on equity of 6.30% and a net margin of 43.46%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.45 earnings per share. Essential Properties Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.000-2.050 EPS. Analysts predict that Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This is a boost from Essential Properties Realty Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.79%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Essential Properties Realty Trust news, CFO Robert Webb Salisbury sold 5,851 shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.88, for a total transaction of $186,529.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 8,310 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $264,922.80. This trade represents a 41.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP A Joseph Peil sold 19,657 shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.10, for a total value of $630,989.70. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 76,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,456,452.50. The trade was a 20.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.77% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group increased their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust from $37.00 to $34.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Essential Properties Realty Trust has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $36.50.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Profile

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: EPRT) is a self-administered real estate investment trust that acquires, owns and manages single-tenant commercial properties subject to long-term, triple-net leases. The company’s portfolio primarily consists of small-box retail and industrial assets, including convenience stores, automotive service centers, quick-service restaurants, fitness centers and other necessity-based businesses. Under a triple-net lease structure, tenants assume responsibility for property taxes, insurance and most maintenance expenses, providing Essential Properties with predictable, stable cash flows.

Since its founding in April 2016 and its initial public offering later that year, Essential Properties has pursued a growth strategy focused on partnering with creditworthy tenants operating in densely populated trade areas.