Squarepoint Ops LLC Sells 35,389 Shares of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT)

Squarepoint Ops LLC lessened its holdings in Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT - Free Report) by 39.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 53,196 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 35,389 shares during the quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC's holdings in Empire State Realty Trust were worth $549,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ESRT. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 819.7% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 4,295 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 3,828 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming bought a new position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Versor Investments LP bought a new position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $105,000. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $110,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust in the 4th quarter worth $117,000. Institutional investors own 67.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Empire State Realty Trust from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Empire State Realty Trust from $11.00 to $8.30 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Empire State Realty Trust in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised Empire State Realty Trust from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $10.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $10.43.

Empire State Realty Trust Trading Up 1.8%

ESRT stock traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $8.08. The company had a trading volume of 2,143,427 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,256,721. The company has a current ratio of 3.72, a quick ratio of 3.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The stock has a market cap of $1.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.86 and a beta of 1.60. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $7.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.86. Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. has a 52 week low of $6.56 and a 52 week high of $11.62.

Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter. Empire State Realty Trust had a return on equity of 2.84% and a net margin of 6.45%. The company had revenue of $154.54 million for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. will post 0.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Empire State Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be issued a $0.035 dividend. This represents a $0.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.73%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. Empire State Realty Trust's dividend payout ratio is 46.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Empire State Realty Trust

In related news, EVP Thomas P. Durels sold 12,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.11, for a total transaction of $101,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 74,307 shares in the company, valued at approximately $602,629.77. This trade represents a 14.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 30,122 shares of company stock valued at $242,761. 14.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Empire State Realty Trust

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc NYSE: ESRT is a NYC-focused REIT that owns and operates a portfolio of modernized, amenitized, and well-located office, retail, and multifamily assets. The company is the recognized leader in energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. ESRT's flagship Empire State Building - the "World's Most Famous Building" - includes its Observatory, Tripadvisor's 2023 Travelers' Choice Awards: Best of the Best the #1 attraction in the US for two consecutive years.