Versor Investments LP Purchases 12,100 Shares of Easterly Government Properties, Inc. $DEA

Key Points

• Versor Investments LP increased its holdings in Easterly Government Properties, Inc. by 20.7%, acquiring a total of 70,646 shares worth approximately $749,000.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.45 with a significant payout ratio of 439.02%, indicating that the dividend may be unsustainable.
• Several analysts have adjusted their ratings on the stock, with recent upgrades and downgrades leading to a consensus target price of $27.15 and a mix of ratings ranging from "sell" to "hold".

Versor Investments LP increased its position in Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA - Free Report) by 20.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 70,646 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after purchasing an additional 12,100 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP owned 0.16% of Easterly Government Properties worth $749,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 814.7% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 3,110 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 2,770 shares during the period. Quarry LP grew its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 604.0% in the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 5,878 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 5,043 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Easterly Government Properties in the fourth quarter worth $70,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Easterly Government Properties in the fourth quarter worth $87,000. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in Easterly Government Properties in the first quarter worth $109,000. 86.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Easterly Government Properties Stock Up 2.3%

Easterly Government Properties stock traded up $0.51 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $22.52. The company had a trading volume of 506,109 shares, compared to its average volume of 518,571. The company has a current ratio of 3.75, a quick ratio of 3.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $22.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.35. Easterly Government Properties, Inc. has a 12 month low of $19.33 and a 12 month high of $36.31. The company has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 54.93 and a beta of 0.94.

Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74. Easterly Government Properties had a return on equity of 1.26% and a net margin of 5.54%.The firm had revenue of $80.37 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $81.73 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.29 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. Easterly Government Properties has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.980-3.030 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Easterly Government Properties, Inc. will post 1.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Easterly Government Properties Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 13th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.0%. Easterly Government Properties's payout ratio is currently 439.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DEA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen cut Easterly Government Properties from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, June 6th. BMO Capital Markets raised Easterly Government Properties from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $25.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Easterly Government Properties from $27.50 to $22.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Easterly Government Properties has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $27.15.

Easterly Government Properties Profile

Easterly Government Properties, Inc NYSE: DEA is based in Washington, DC, and focuses primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties that are leased to the U.S. Government. Easterly's experienced management team brings specialized insight into the strategy and needs of mission-critical U.S.