Kilroy Realty Co. (NYSE:KRC) Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

Kilroy Realty Co. (NYSE:KRC) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 7,040,000 shares, a decrease of 14.0% from the February 13th total of 8,190,000 shares. Currently, 6.1% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,390,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.1 days.

Kilroy Realty Stock Performance

Shares of KRC stock opened at $34.55 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $35.78 and its 200 day moving average is $38.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a current ratio of 2.21. The company has a market capitalization of $4.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.52 and a beta of 1.02. Kilroy Realty has a one year low of $30.71 and a one year high of $43.78.

Kilroy Realty (NYSE:KRC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.17. Kilroy Realty had a net margin of 18.58% and a return on equity of 3.75%. Sell-side analysts expect that Kilroy Realty will post 4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kilroy Realty Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 9th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. Kilroy Realty’s payout ratio is presently 122.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Angela M. Aman acquired 2,797 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 28th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $35.45 per share, for a total transaction of $99,153.65. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 2,797 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $99,153.65. This trade represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 2.49% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kilroy Realty

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vestcor Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Kilroy Realty by 289.0% in the third quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 34,313 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,328,000 after buying an additional 25,492 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Kilroy Realty by 1.3% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,171,717 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $84,045,000 after buying an additional 27,660 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kilroy Realty by 25.4% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,848 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 374 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kilroy Realty by 428.5% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 850,975 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $32,933,000 after buying an additional 689,962 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of Kilroy Realty by 6.8% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 111,262 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $4,306,000 after buying an additional 7,129 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.22% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on KRC shares. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Kilroy Realty from $44.00 to $39.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of Kilroy Realty from $43.00 to $41.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $43.00 price target (down from $45.00) on shares of Kilroy Realty in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Kilroy Realty from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $43.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Kilroy Realty from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $45.00 to $49.00 in a research note on Friday, December 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kilroy Realty presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $40.09.

About Kilroy Realty

Kilroy Realty Corporation (NYSE: KRC, the company, Kilroy) is a leading U.S. landlord and developer, with operations in San Diego, Greater Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Seattle and Austin. The company has earned global recognition for sustainability, building operations, innovation and design.