Easterly Government Properties, Inc. $DEA Shares Bought by Versor Investments LP

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 raised 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 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 70,646 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 12,100 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP owned about 0.16% of Easterly Government Properties worth $749,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Arrow Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 14.2% in the 1st quarter. Arrow Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,548 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $144,000 after buying an additional 1,686 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 14.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 14,214 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $161,000 after buying an additional 1,806 shares during the last quarter. Accel Wealth Management boosted its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 20.0% in the 1st quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 12,000 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $127,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 10.1% in the 1st quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 27,217 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $288,000 after buying an additional 2,501 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 22.0% in the 4th quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 14,601 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $166,000 after buying an additional 2,637 shares during the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective 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. Wall Street Zen cut Easterly Government Properties from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, June 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded Easterly Government Properties from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $25.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Easterly Government Properties presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $27.15.

Easterly Government Properties Price Performance

Shares of Easterly Government Properties stock traded down $0.0710 on Thursday, hitting $21.9690. 387,601 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 504,139. The stock has a market capitalization of $996.29 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.58 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $22.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $23.44. Easterly Government Properties, Inc. has a 1-year low of $19.33 and a 1-year high of $36.31. The company has a quick ratio of 3.75, a current ratio of 3.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24.

Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.74 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 analysts' expectations of $81.73 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. The firm'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 predict that Easterly Government Properties, Inc. will post 1.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Easterly Government Properties Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 13th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.2%. Easterly Government Properties's dividend payout ratio is currently 439.02%.

Easterly Government Properties Company 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.