185,529 Shares in Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. $EPRT Acquired by Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management acquired 185,529 shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust valued at approximately $5.54 million, joining other institutional investors that collectively own 96.98% of the stock.
• Essential Properties reported quarterly EPS of $0.34, slightly ahead of estimates, while revenue rose 18.1% year over year to $161.89 million. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $0.32 per share, implying a 4.1% annualized yield.
• EPRT shares opened at $30.88, below the analyst consensus target of $36.20. Although the stock retains an overall “Buy” rating, analysts have recently reduced some price targets, and the company’s COO sold 22,000 shares.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EPRT - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 185,529 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,538,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.09% of Essential Properties Realty Trust as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 82.0% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 899 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp increased its holdings in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 146.9% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 1,131 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 673 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in Essential Properties Realty Trust by 47.8% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,339 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust during the second quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust by 664.4% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,590 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 1,382 shares during the period. 96.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Essential Properties Realty Trust news, COO Robert M. Jenkins sold 22,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.22, for a total value of $708,840.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 34,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,100,892.96. This trade represents a 39.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.77% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Price Performance

Shares of EPRT opened at $30.88 on Friday. Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. has a 52 week low of $28.95 and a 52 week high of $34.73. The company has a current ratio of 8.17, a quick ratio of 8.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The firm has a market cap of $6.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.94, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.86. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $31.06 and a 200-day moving average of $31.54.

Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.01. Essential Properties Realty Trust had a net margin of 43.51% and a return on equity of 6.34%. The firm had revenue of $161.89 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $156.65 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.46 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 18.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Essential Properties Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.010-2.050 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. will post 1.97 EPS for the current year.

Essential Properties Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This is an increase from Essential Properties Realty Trust's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Essential Properties Realty Trust's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 99.22%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Essential Properties Realty Trust from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $37.00 to $34.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Essential Properties Realty Trust from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $36.20.

About Essential Properties Realty Trust

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc NYSE: EPRT is a self-administered real estate investment trust that acquires, owns and manages single-tenant commercial properties subject to long-term, triple-net leases. The company’s portfolio primarily consists of small-box retail and industrial assets, including convenience stores, automotive service centers, quick-service restaurants, fitness centers and other necessity-based businesses. Under a triple-net lease structure, tenants assume responsibility for property taxes, insurance and most maintenance expenses, providing Essential Properties with predictable, stable cash flows.

Since its founding in April 2016 and its initial public offering later that year, Essential Properties has pursued a growth strategy focused on partnering with creditworthy tenants operating in densely populated trade areas.

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