Ceredex Value Advisors LLC Invests $36.52 Million in Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS)

Ceredex Value Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 548,349 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $36,520,000. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.29% of Equity LifeStyle Properties as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. National Pension Service bought a new position in Equity LifeStyle Properties during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties by 121.4% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 383 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new stake in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its holdings in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 564 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. 97.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Stock Performance

NYSE:ELS traded down $0.96 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $64.36. 204,326 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,289,738. The company has a 50-day moving average of $66.48 and a 200 day moving average of $67.65. Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. has a 1-year low of $58.86 and a 1-year high of $76.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 0.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.01, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.72.

Equity LifeStyle Properties (NYSE:ELS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.76. Equity LifeStyle Properties had a return on equity of 23.12% and a net margin of 24.05%. Research analysts anticipate that Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Investors of record on Friday, March 28th were given a $0.515 dividend. This is a boost from Equity LifeStyle Properties's previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.20%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 28th. Equity LifeStyle Properties's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 105.64%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on ELS. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Equity LifeStyle Properties in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $80.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Equity LifeStyle Properties from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $73.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Evercore ISI cut their price target on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $74.00 to $73.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Truist Financial upgraded Equity LifeStyle Properties from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded Equity LifeStyle Properties from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $78.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, April 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $74.20.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Company Profile

Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the ownership and operation of lifestyle-oriented properties consisting primarily of manufactured home, and recreational vehicle communities. It operates through the following segments: Property Operations and Home Sales and Rentals Operations.