EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Short Interest Down 13.3% in January

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 4,098,441 shares, a decline of 13.3% from the December 31st total of 4,725,698 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 793,785 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.2 days. Approximately 5.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Approximately 5.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 793,785 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.2 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EPR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of EPR Properties from $65.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of EPR Properties from $56.00 to $54.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Wall Street Zen lowered EPR Properties from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $58.00 price objective on shares of EPR Properties in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of EPR Properties in a report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $58.36.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other EPR Properties news, EVP Gregory E. Zimmerman sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.89, for a total transaction of $404,175.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 66,294 shares in the company, valued at $3,572,583.66. This trade represents a 10.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 2.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On EPR Properties

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EPR. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of EPR Properties by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,009,669 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $234,760,000 after acquiring an additional 66,562 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its position in EPR Properties by 42.0% in the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 1,870,499 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $108,975,000 after purchasing an additional 553,209 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in EPR Properties by 84.8% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,564,309 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $90,746,000 after purchasing an additional 717,734 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in EPR Properties by 29.2% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,544,905 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $88,693,000 after purchasing an additional 348,908 shares during the period. Finally, LSV Asset Management boosted its holdings in EPR Properties by 2.8% during the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,293,458 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $75,357,000 after purchasing an additional 35,792 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.66% of the company’s stock.

EPR Properties Stock Up 1.2%

EPR stock opened at $56.04 on Thursday. EPR Properties has a twelve month low of $41.75 and a twelve month high of $61.24. The company has a quick ratio of 7.21, a current ratio of 7.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $4.27 billion, a PE ratio of 24.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.99. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $52.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $53.49.

EPR Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a $0.295 dividend. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. EPR Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 154.59%.

About EPR Properties

EPR Properties is a real estate investment trust that specializes in experiential properties across the United States, Canada and select international markets. Established in 1997 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the company targets properties in the entertainment, recreation and education sectors. Its portfolio includes movie theaters, ski resorts, family entertainment centers, charter schools and other venues that benefit from consumer-driven experiences.

The trust employs long-term, triple-net lease agreements, where tenants are responsible for real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance.