Aberdeen Group plc Increases Stake in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. $AVB

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc increased its stake in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. by 17.2% in Q1, owning 381,696 shares worth approximately $81.7 million.
• Recent analyst reports have adjusted AvalonBay's price targets, with estimates ranging from $200 to $226, while the company currently holds a "Hold" rating among ten analysts.
• AvalonBay recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.75 per share, resulting in an annualized yield of 3.7%.

Aberdeen Group plc raised its position in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB - Free Report) by 17.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 381,696 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after purchasing an additional 55,962 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.27% of AvalonBay Communities worth $81,689,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVB. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in AvalonBay Communities by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 11,100 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,441,000 after purchasing an additional 551 shares in the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC lifted its holdings in AvalonBay Communities by 9.4% in the 4th quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 5,359 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,179,000 after purchasing an additional 459 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC raised its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 17,027 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $3,745,000 after acquiring an additional 1,326 shares during the period. Bridgewater Associates LP raised its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 77.2% during the 4th quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 1,600 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $352,000 after acquiring an additional 697 shares during the period. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities during the 4th quarter worth $220,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.61% of the company's stock.

AvalonBay Communities Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE AVB traded down $0.2550 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $191.1950. The stock had a trading volume of 524,399 shares, compared to its average volume of 820,380. The company has a market capitalization of $27.22 billion, a PE ratio of 23.54, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $198.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $205.93. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a twelve month low of $180.40 and a twelve month high of $239.29.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.80 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $689.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $759.08 million. AvalonBay Communities had a return on equity of 9.70% and a net margin of 38.91%.During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.77 EPS. AvalonBay Communities has set its FY 2025 guidance at 11.190-11.590 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 11.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $216.00 to $211.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $216.00 to $212.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Scotiabank reduced their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $236.00 to $226.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley upgraded AvalonBay Communities from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $228.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded AvalonBay Communities from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AvalonBay Communities currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $225.64.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Edward M. Schulman sold 5,945 shares of AvalonBay Communities stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.67, for a total value of $1,222,708.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,617 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,623,288.39. This trade represents a 25.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevin P. O'shea sold 6,000 shares of AvalonBay Communities stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.57, for a total value of $1,245,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 22,782 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,728,859.74. The trade was a 20.85% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

AvalonBay Communities Profile

AvalonBay Communities, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the development, acquisition, ownership, and operation of multifamily communities. It operates through the following segments: Same Store, Other Stabilized, and Development or Redevelopment. The Same Store segment refers to the operating communities that were owned and had stabilized occupancy.