Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA) Short Interest Up 9.4% in March

Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,490,000 shares, a growth of 9.4% from the March 15th total of 3,190,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 985,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.5 days.

Easterly Government Properties Price Performance

Shares of Easterly Government Properties stock traded down $0.13 on Wednesday, hitting $11.15. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 961,215 shares, compared to its average volume of 866,726. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 4.65 and a current ratio of 4.65. Easterly Government Properties has a 1 year low of $10.27 and a 1 year high of $15.21. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $11.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $11.95. The company has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.71 and a beta of 0.67.

Easterly Government Properties Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 6th were paid a $0.265 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 5th. This represents a $1.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.51%. Easterly Government Properties’s dividend payout ratio is presently 557.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Easterly Government Properties from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Easterly Government Properties

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 365.1% in the 1st quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 10,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 7,850 shares in the last quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 4.9% in the 1st quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 771,700 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $8,882,000 after purchasing an additional 36,082 shares in the last quarter. Aurora Investment Managers LLC. boosted its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 88.0% in the 1st quarter. Aurora Investment Managers LLC. now owns 204,134 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,350,000 after buying an additional 95,526 shares during the last quarter. BTC Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Easterly Government Properties in the 1st quarter worth about $228,000. Finally, HighPoint Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in Easterly Government Properties in the 4th quarter worth about $137,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.51% of the company’s stock.

About Easterly Government Properties

Easterly Government Properties, Inc (NYSE: DEA) is based in Washington, DC, and focuses primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties that are leased to the U.S. Government. Easterly's experienced management team brings specialized insight into the strategy and needs of mission-critical U.S.