EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Short Interest Update

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,460,000 shares, a drop of 5.0% from the October 31st total of 2,590,000 shares. Currently, 3.3% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 462,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.3 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised EPR Properties from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $48.00 to $50.00 in a report on Monday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price 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. Raymond James upgraded EPR Properties from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $54.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $47.00 price objective (up from $45.00) on shares of EPR Properties in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of EPR Properties in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.28.

EPR Properties Stock Performance

EPR Properties stock opened at $45.28 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 7.81 and a quick ratio of 7.81. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $46.69 and its 200-day moving average is $44.85. The company has a market cap of $3.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.60 and a beta of 1.76. EPR Properties has a 12 month low of $39.65 and a 12 month high of $50.26.

EPR Properties Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a nov 24 dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a dividend of $0.285 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. This represents a yield of 7.8%. EPR Properties’s payout ratio is presently 148.05%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EPR Properties

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EPR. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in EPR Properties by 0.5% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,425,119 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $69,904,000 after purchasing an additional 7,429 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in EPR Properties by 4.2% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,349,900 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $66,199,000 after purchasing an additional 54,567 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in EPR Properties by 23.3% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,177,586 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $49,435,000 after buying an additional 222,800 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management lifted its holdings in shares of EPR Properties by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,139,494 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $47,836,000 after purchasing an additional 5,140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in EPR Properties by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,106,593 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $46,454,000 after purchasing an additional 53,997 shares in the last quarter. 74.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.