Short Interest in EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Drops By 11.0%

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,580,000 shares, a decrease of 11.0% from the August 31st total of 2,900,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 577,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days. Approximately 3.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

EPR Properties Stock Up 1.0 %

EPR stock opened at $49.02 on Tuesday. EPR Properties has a 52 week low of $39.65 and a 52 week high of $50.26. The company has a current ratio of 11.12, a quick ratio of 11.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The company has a market cap of $3.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.15 and a beta of 1.75. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $46.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.21.

EPR Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a $0.285 dividend. This represents a $3.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.98%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. EPR Properties’s dividend payout ratio is currently 168.47%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Tonya L. Mater sold 1,000 shares of EPR Properties stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.00, for a total value of $46,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 42,710 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,964,660. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, SVP Gwendolyn Mary Johnson sold 592 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.82, for a total transaction of $25,941.44. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 5,780 shares in the company, valued at $253,279.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Tonya L. Mater sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.00, for a total value of $46,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 42,710 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,964,660. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.13% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EPR Properties

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in EPR Properties in the second quarter valued at $56,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of EPR Properties in the 2nd quarter worth about $448,000. Creative Planning boosted its position in shares of EPR Properties by 20.1% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 16,353 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $686,000 after buying an additional 2,733 shares in the last quarter. Algert Global LLC grew its stake in EPR Properties by 369.7% in the 2nd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 88,646 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $3,721,000 after acquiring an additional 69,774 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Liberty Mutual Group Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in EPR Properties by 34.9% during the 2nd quarter. Liberty Mutual Group Asset Management Inc. now owns 65,327 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $2,742,000 after acquiring an additional 16,897 shares in the last quarter. 74.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on EPR. JMP Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of EPR Properties in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of EPR Properties from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of EPR Properties from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $48.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of EPR Properties from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, August 26th. Finally, Raymond James upgraded shares of EPR Properties from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $54.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.06.

About EPR Properties

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) is the leading diversified experiential net lease real estate investment trust (REIT), specializing in select enduring experiential properties in the real estate industry. We focus on real estate venues that create value by facilitating out of home leisure and recreation experiences where consumers choose to spend their discretionary time and money.