EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Hits New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Shares of EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $56.99 and last traded at $56.84, with a volume of 108926 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $56.61.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on EPR shares. Wall Street Zen raised EPR Properties from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on EPR Properties from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $58.00 price objective on shares of EPR Properties in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of EPR Properties from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. Finally, Raymond James restated a "strong-buy" rating on shares of EPR Properties in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $54.57.

EPR Properties Trading Up 0.2%

The company has a market cap of $4.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.73 and a beta of 1.27. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $51.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $48.92. The company has a quick ratio of 7.81, a current ratio of 7.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.16 by $0.05. EPR Properties had a net margin of 28.87% and a return on equity of 8.22%. The firm had revenue of $146.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $155.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.12 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that EPR Properties will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

EPR Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a may 25 dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be issued a $0.295 dividend. This represents a yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 30th. EPR Properties's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 217.18%.

Insider Activity at EPR Properties

In related news, SVP Brian Andrew Moriarty sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.99, for a total transaction of $129,975.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 15,299 shares in the company, valued at approximately $795,395.01. This represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Tonya L. Mater sold 3,120 shares of EPR Properties stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.90, for a total value of $161,928.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 46,827 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,430,321.30. This trade represents a 6.25% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of EPR Properties

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in EPR Properties during the fourth quarter valued at about $302,313,000. Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in shares of EPR Properties by 3,816.2% during the 1st quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,874,975 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $98,642,000 after purchasing an additional 1,827,098 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in EPR Properties during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,148,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in EPR Properties by 378.0% during the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 821,532 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $43,221,000 after purchasing an additional 649,675 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new position in EPR Properties in the first quarter valued at approximately $21,166,000. 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.