Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) Cut to "Sell" at StockNews.com

Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Easterly Government Properties from $30.00 to $27.50 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Easterly Government Properties in a research report on Monday, March 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $32.50 price target on the stock. Finally, Compass Point reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $23.75 price objective (down from $37.50) on shares of Easterly Government Properties in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Easterly Government Properties presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $29.06.

Easterly Government Properties Stock Performance

Shares of Easterly Government Properties stock opened at $20.36 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $914.31 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 113.12 and a beta of 0.90. Easterly Government Properties has a twelve month low of $19.33 and a twelve month high of $36.31. The company's fifty day moving average is $24.00 and its 200 day moving average is $27.70. The company has a quick ratio of 4.01, a current ratio of 4.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07.

Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.73. The company had revenue of $78.68 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $80.67 million. Easterly Government Properties had a return on equity of 1.34% and a net margin of 6.25%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Easterly Government Properties will post 1.17 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Easterly Government Properties

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Barclays PLC grew its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 324.6% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 165,212 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,244,000 after acquiring an additional 126,306 shares during the period. Kempner Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Easterly Government Properties by 23.7% in the 4th quarter. Kempner Capital Management Inc. now owns 317,980 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $3,612,000 after purchasing an additional 60,840 shares during the period. Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in Easterly Government Properties during the 4th quarter valued at $514,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 143,148 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,600,000 after buying an additional 3,310 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,975,328 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $22,440,000 after buying an additional 66,071 shares in the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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