KBC Group NV Acquires 152,479 Shares of W.P. Carey Inc. $WPC

Key Points

• KBC Group NV boosted its stake in W.P. Carey by 570.4% in Q4, buying 152,479 shares to hold 179,209 shares valued at about $11.53 million (≈0.08% of the company).
• W.P. Carey raised its quarterly dividend to $0.93 (annualized $3.72) for a ~5.0% yield, though the payout ratio is notably high at 176.3%.
• The REIT beat Q4 expectations with $1.27 EPS and $444.6M revenue and set FY2026 guidance of $5.13–$5.23 EPS, above analysts’ consensus (~4.87 EPS).

KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in W.P. Carey Inc. (NYSE:WPC - Free Report) by 570.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 179,209 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 152,479 shares during the period. KBC Group NV owned about 0.08% of W.P. Carey worth $11,534,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.P. Carey in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.P. Carey in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of W.P. Carey in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. LGT Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.P. Carey in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.P. Carey in the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. 73.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.P. Carey Price Performance

Shares of WPC stock opened at $73.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 0.14 and a quick ratio of 0.14. The company has a market capitalization of $16.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.04, a P/E/G ratio of 4.79 and a beta of 0.78. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $71.44 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $68.58. W.P. Carey Inc. has a one year low of $59.34 and a one year high of $75.69.

W.P. Carey (NYSE:WPC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $444.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $433.28 million. W.P. Carey had a net margin of 27.17% and a return on equity of 5.67%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.21 EPS. W.P. Carey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.130-5.230 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that W.P. Carey Inc. will post 4.87 EPS for the current year.

W.P. Carey Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were paid a $0.93 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $3.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.0%. This is an increase from W.P. Carey's previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. W.P. Carey's payout ratio is currently 176.30%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WPC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of W.P. Carey from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of W.P. Carey from $60.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of W.P. Carey from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $76.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of W.P. Carey from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of W.P. Carey in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $71.90.

W.P. Carey Profile

W. P. Carey Inc is a diversified net-lease real estate investment trust specializing in single-tenant commercial properties. The company structures sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions to provide long-term net lease financing across a variety of asset classes, including industrial facilities, office buildings, retail centers and self-storage facilities. By employing triple net leases, W. P. Carey transfers property operating expenses, taxes and maintenance responsibility to tenants, creating a stable, predictable income stream for investors.

Founded in 1973 by William Polk Carey, the firm has expanded organically and through strategic mergers and acquisitions.

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