Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest dropped 18.7% in April, falling to 2,626,721 shares (about 3.1% of shares outstanding) with a days-to-cover ratio of 2.4.
• Dividend remains attractive but highly covered: the trust paid a $1.13 quarterly dividend (ex-dividend Apr 1), implying a 4.1% yield and a 96.79% payout ratio.
• Mixed earnings and steady guidance: FRT missed quarterly EPS ($1.48 vs. $1.86 estimate) while revenue rose 7.8% to $336.05M; management set FY2026 EPS guidance of 7.420–7.520 and analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target of $112.43.

Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 2,626,721 shares, a decrease of 18.7% from the March 31st total of 3,230,635 shares. Approximately 3.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,112,361 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days.

Federal Realty Investment Trust Price Performance

NYSE:FRT traded up $0.14 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $110.75. 1,527,280 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 815,513. The business has a 50 day moving average of $107.88 and a 200 day moving average of $102.89. Federal Realty Investment Trust has a 1-year low of $89.99 and a 1-year high of $113.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.67. The company has a market capitalization of $9.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.72, a P/E/G ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.98.

Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.86 by ($0.38). The company had revenue of $336.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $327.65 million. Federal Realty Investment Trust had a net margin of 32.14% and a return on equity of 13.10%. Federal Realty Investment Trust's revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.73 earnings per share. Federal Realty Investment Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.420-7.520 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Federal Realty Investment Trust will post 7.47 EPS for the current year.

Federal Realty Investment Trust Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 1st were given a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 1st. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. Federal Realty Investment Trust's dividend payout ratio is currently 96.79%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Barclays dropped their price target on Federal Realty Investment Trust from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. Evercore set a $107.00 price objective on Federal Realty Investment Trust in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Federal Realty Investment Trust from $111.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Federal Realty Investment Trust from $113.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Federal Realty Investment Trust from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Federal Realty Investment Trust presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $112.43.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Federal Realty Investment Trust

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Federal Realty Investment Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $734,290,000. State Street Corp increased its stake in Federal Realty Investment Trust by 1.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,668,743 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $675,610,000 after acquiring an additional 90,127 shares during the last quarter. Resolution Capital Ltd raised its position in Federal Realty Investment Trust by 11.8% during the second quarter. Resolution Capital Ltd now owns 3,264,653 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $310,109,000 after purchasing an additional 344,189 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Federal Realty Investment Trust by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,732,796 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $275,466,000 after purchasing an additional 72,718 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Federal Realty Investment Trust by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,198,241 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $221,217,000 after purchasing an additional 23,214 shares during the last quarter. 93.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Federal Realty Investment Trust Company Profile

Federal Realty Investment Trust NYSE: FRT is a real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management, and redevelopment of high-quality retail, restaurant, and mixed-use properties. With a strategic focus on open-air shopping centers and lifestyle-oriented urban destinations, the company partners with leading national and regional retailers to curate environments that blend shopping, dining, entertainment, office, and residential uses. Its asset management capabilities extend from initial site selection and development through ongoing property operations and tenant relations.

Federal Realty's portfolio comprises approximately 100 properties totaling more than 25 million square feet of gross leasable area.

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