Equity Residential $EQR Shares Purchased by Aberdeen Group plc

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc increased its holdings in Equity Residential by 9.3%, owning 422,260 shares worth approximately $28.5 million after acquiring an additional 36,047 shares.
• Recent analyst ratings have downgraded Equity Residential; Wall Street Zen cut its rating from "hold" to "sell," while Goldman Sachs decreased its price target from $72 to $70 and issued a "neutral" rating.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.6925 per share, with a payout ratio of 104.53%, indicating a strong commitment to returning value to shareholders despite potential challenges.

Aberdeen Group plc grew its position in Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR - Free Report) by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 422,260 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after acquiring an additional 36,047 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.11% of Equity Residential worth $28,498,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in Equity Residential during the 1st quarter worth $37,000. Keystone Global Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Equity Residential during the first quarter worth about $47,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in shares of Equity Residential during the first quarter worth about $48,000. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Equity Residential during the first quarter worth about $56,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Equity Residential by 215.4% during the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 817 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 558 shares during the period. 92.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Equity Residential from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, September 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Equity Residential from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of Equity Residential from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on shares of Equity Residential in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $70.00 target price for the company. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Equity Residential from $81.00 to $80.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.32.

Equity Residential Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE EQR opened at $61.72 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Equity Residential has a 52 week low of $59.41 and a 52 week high of $78.32. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $64.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.90.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.99 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.99. Equity Residential had a net margin of 33.22% and a return on equity of 9.05%. The firm had revenue of $768.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $770.60 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.97 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equity Residential has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.970-4.030 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 0.990-1.030 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Equity Residential will post 3.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equity Residential Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 25th were issued a dividend of $0.6925 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 25th. This represents a $2.77 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.5%. Equity Residential's payout ratio is currently 104.53%.

Equity Residential Profile

Equity Residential is committed to creating communities where people thrive. The Company, a member of the S&P 500, is focused on the acquisition, development and management of residential properties located in and around dynamic cities that attract affluent long-term renters. Equity Residential owns or has investments in 305 properties consisting of 80,683 apartment units, with an established presence in Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Seattle, San Francisco and Southern California, and an expanding presence in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft.

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