Stag Industrial (NYSE:STAG) Hits New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Stag Industrial, Inc. (NYSE:STAG) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $40.23 and last traded at $39.99, with a volume of 213330 shares. The stock had previously closed at $39.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on STAG shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Stag Industrial from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on Stag Industrial in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $44.00 price target for the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Stag Industrial from $39.00 to $38.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Stag Industrial from $41.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of Stag Industrial in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.40.

Stag Industrial Trading Up 1.0%

The firm has a market capitalization of $7.60 billion, a PE ratio of 30.79 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $38.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $38.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87.

Stag Industrial (NYSE:STAG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $224.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $221.51 million. Stag Industrial had a net margin of 28.25% and a return on equity of 6.80%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.61 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Stag Industrial, Inc. will post 2.64 EPS for the current year.

Stag Industrial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a $0.3875 dividend. This represents a $1.55 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. Stag Industrial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 120.16%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stag Industrial

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Stag Industrial by 17.6% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 9,952 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $359,000 after purchasing an additional 1,491 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Stag Industrial by 37.0% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,671,949 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $60,391,000 after purchasing an additional 451,355 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in Stag Industrial in the 1st quarter valued at about $229,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Stag Industrial by 270.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,436 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 1,048 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Stag Industrial by 173.4% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 177,756 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $6,449,000 after acquiring an additional 112,747 shares during the last quarter. 88.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Stag Industrial

Stag Industrial, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, ownership and operation of single-tenant industrial properties throughout the United States. The company’s portfolio is focused on free-standing warehouses, distribution centers and light manufacturing facilities designed to meet the logistical needs of a diverse tenant base. By concentrating on properties with straightforward layouts and minimal common-area maintenance, Stag Industrial seeks to deliver stable rental income and attractive risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders.

Since its founding in 2010 and initial public offering in 2011, Stag Industrial has pursued a disciplined investment strategy centered on high-quality, well-located assets.