Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Has $112.81 Million Stock Position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT) by 59.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,803,496 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,425,082 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA’s holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust were worth $112,812,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in the third quarter worth about $1,242,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 139.6% in the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 118,698 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,532,000 after buying an additional 69,157 shares during the period. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co boosted its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 104.9% in the third quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 60,838 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,811,000 after buying an additional 31,143 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 138.7% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 56,991 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,696,000 after buying an additional 33,119 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 43.9% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,041,992 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,010,000 after buying an additional 317,845 shares during the period. 96.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Robert Webb Salisbury sold 5,851 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.88, for a total value of $186,529.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 8,310 shares in the company, valued at approximately $264,922.80. The trade was a 41.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP A Joseph Peil sold 19,657 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.10, for a total transaction of $630,989.70. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 76,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,456,452.50. The trade was a 20.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.77% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Essential Properties Realty Trust presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $36.60.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Price Performance

Shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust stock opened at $32.11 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $32.30 and a 200-day simple moving average of $31.06. The company has a current ratio of 6.37, a quick ratio of 6.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 1-year low of $28.95 and a 1-year high of $34.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.09, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.99.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. Essential Properties Realty Trust’s payout ratio is presently 96.88%.

About Essential Properties Realty Trust

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: EPRT) is a self-administered real estate investment trust that acquires, owns and manages single-tenant commercial properties subject to long-term, triple-net leases. The company’s portfolio primarily consists of small-box retail and industrial assets, including convenience stores, automotive service centers, quick-service restaurants, fitness centers and other necessity-based businesses. Under a triple-net lease structure, tenants assume responsibility for property taxes, insurance and most maintenance expenses, providing Essential Properties with predictable, stable cash flows.

Since its founding in April 2016 and its initial public offering later that year, Essential Properties has pursued a growth strategy focused on partnering with creditworthy tenants operating in densely populated trade areas.