Andra AP fonden Decreases Stock Position in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB)

Andra AP fonden trimmed its position in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) by 29.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 10,500 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 4,300 shares during the quarter. Andra AP fonden’s holdings in AvalonBay Communities were worth $2,310,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the third quarter worth about $39,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the third quarter worth about $51,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 312.5% in the fourth quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 363 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. 92.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AvalonBay Communities Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AVB opened at $218.45 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $218.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $223.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.08 billion, a PE ratio of 28.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 1.00. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a 1 year low of $177.40 and a 1 year high of $239.29.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83 by ($0.03). AvalonBay Communities had a return on equity of 9.15% and a net margin of 37.13%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 11.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AvalonBay Communities Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $1.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This is a positive change from AvalonBay Communities’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.70. This represents a $7.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.20%. AvalonBay Communities’s payout ratio is currently 92.23%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on AVB shares. Mizuho upgraded AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $239.00 to $242.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on AvalonBay Communities from $226.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Zelman & Associates raised AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays dropped their target price on AvalonBay Communities from $230.00 to $226.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Scotiabank dropped their target price on AvalonBay Communities from $244.00 to $241.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $238.64.

AvalonBay Communities Profile

AvalonBay Communities, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the development, acquisition, ownership, and operation of multifamily communities. It operates through the following segments: Same Store, Other Stabilized, and Development or Redevelopment. The Same Store segment refers to the operating communities that were owned and had stabilized occupancy.