EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) Raised to "Buy" at Stifel Nicolaus

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Stifel Nicolaus from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $65.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust's stock, up from their prior price objective of $52.00. Stifel Nicolaus' target price would suggest a potential upside of 9.97% from the company's current price.

EPR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of EPR Properties in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of EPR Properties from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of EPR Properties from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of EPR Properties from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $58.00 target price on shares of EPR Properties in a research note on Monday, May 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, EPR Properties has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $56.43.

EPR Properties Price Performance

Shares of EPR stock traded up $0.81 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $59.11. 819,874 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 623,180. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $52.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $49.60. EPR Properties has a 1-year low of $40.79 and a 1-year high of $59.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 8.28 and a quick ratio of 8.28. The firm has a market cap of $4.50 billion, a PE ratio of 36.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 1.27.

EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.05. EPR Properties had a net margin of 21.13% and a return on equity of 6.30%. The business had revenue of $146.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $155.46 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.12 EPS. The company's revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that EPR Properties will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of EPR Properties

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of EPR Properties during the 4th quarter valued at $302,313,000. Deutsche Bank AG grew its stake 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 valued at $98,642,000 after buying an additional 1,827,098 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of EPR Properties during the 4th quarter valued at $41,148,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in shares of 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 valued at $43,221,000 after buying an additional 649,675 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in shares of EPR Properties during the 1st quarter valued at $21,166,000. 74.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

EPR Properties Company Profile

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.