CTO Realty Growth, Inc. (NYSE:CTO) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

CTO Realty Growth, Inc. (NYSE:CTO) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 14th, there was short interest totaling 1,746,153 shares, a growth of 70.2% from the July 30th total of 1,025,694 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 364,403 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.8 days. Approximately 4.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

CTO Realty Growth Price Performance

CTO traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $21.39. The company had a trading volume of 86,873 shares, compared to its average volume of 320,107. CTO Realty Growth has a twelve month low of $15.06 and a twelve month high of $22.71. The company has a market capitalization of $802.10 million, a PE ratio of 15.73 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 8.69 and a current ratio of 8.69. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $21.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.42.

CTO Realty Growth (NYSE:CTO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $43.83 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.31 million. CTO Realty Growth had a net margin of 32.63% and a return on equity of 8.90%. CTO Realty Growth has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.210-2.250 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that CTO Realty Growth will post 2.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CTO Realty Growth Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 10th will be given a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 10th. CTO Realty Growth’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 111.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on CTO shares. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of CTO Realty Growth in a report on Monday, June 29th. Huntington started coverage on shares of CTO Realty Growth in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $24.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research raised shares of CTO Realty Growth from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. JonesTrading boosted their price target on shares of CTO Realty Growth from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of CTO Realty Growth from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and five have given a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $24.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CTO Realty Growth

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CTO Realty Growth during the second quarter valued at $77,576,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in CTO Realty Growth by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,166,067 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,287,000 after purchasing an additional 26,760 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in CTO Realty Growth by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 814,270 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,994,000 after purchasing an additional 13,592 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in CTO Realty Growth by 27.1% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 664,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,828,000 after purchasing an additional 141,574 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Value Partners LLC acquired a new position in CTO Realty Growth during the 2nd quarter valued at about $11,613,000. Institutional investors own 67.18% of the company’s stock.

CTO Realty Growth Company Profile

CTO Realty Growth, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in single-tenant net lease properties. The company’s primary focus is on acquiring, owning and managing retail assets leased to creditworthy operators under long-term, triple-net lease agreements. By targeting essential retail segments, CTO Realty Growth seeks to generate stable, inflation-protected income streams while maintaining a disciplined investment approach.

The REIT’s portfolio is concentrated in convenience store and fuel service locations, with additional assets in other retail categories where net lease structures prevail.