Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) Reaches New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $25.68 and last traded at $25.65, with a volume of 113657 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $24.83.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Easterly Government Properties from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Easterly Government Properties from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $23.11.

Easterly Government Properties Trading Up 3.4%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 106.96 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a quick ratio of 4.01, a current ratio of 4.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $24.04 and a 200-day moving average of $23.22.

Easterly Government Properties Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 7th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 7th. Easterly Government Properties’s dividend payout ratio is presently 750.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 215.6% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,130 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 772 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 318.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,334 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 1,015 shares in the last quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC bought a new stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 237.9% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,757 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,237 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties during the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Institutional investors own 86.51% of the company’s stock.

Easterly Government Properties Company Profile

Easterly Government Properties, Inc is a real estate investment trust that specializes in the acquisition, development and management of commercial properties leased to U.S. government agencies. Structured as a triple-net lease REIT, the company focuses on single-tenant assets with long-term, credit-backed leases that transfer most property-level responsibilities—including taxes, insurance and maintenance—to its government tenants.

The firm’s portfolio encompasses a variety of facility types, including office buildings, training centers, laboratories and mission-critical installations used by federal agencies.