Lasalle Investment Management Securities LLC Boosts Stake in American Tower Corporation $AMT

Key Points

• Lasalle Investment Management Securities LLC increased its American Tower stake by 9.2% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 527,616 shares worth about $92.6 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains generally positive, with American Tower receiving a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $216.20; several analysts recently raised their targets or upgraded the stock.
• American Tower reported strong quarterly earnings of $2.84 per share versus the $1.60 estimate and announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, implying an annualized yield of 3.8%.

Lasalle Investment Management Securities LLC increased its position in shares of American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT - Free Report) by 9.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 527,616 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after acquiring an additional 44,300 shares during the period. American Tower makes up about 3.7% of Lasalle Investment Management Securities LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Lasalle Investment Management Securities LLC owned 0.11% of American Tower worth $92,634,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Oakworth Capital Inc. grew its stake in American Tower by 90.7% in the 4th quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 143 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of American Tower in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of American Tower in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Tower in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American Tower by 103.6% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 169 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.69% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AMT shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of American Tower from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Mizuho raised shares of American Tower from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $189.00 to $205.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of American Tower from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of American Tower from $209.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of American Tower from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $216.20.

American Tower Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE:AMT opened at $186.87 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $177.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $179.36. American Tower Corporation has a 12 month low of $165.08 and a 12 month high of $234.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07. The stock has a market cap of $87.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.90.

American Tower (NYSE:AMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.60 by $1.24. American Tower had a net margin of 26.81% and a return on equity of 27.79%. The firm had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.66 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.75 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. American Tower has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.900-11.07 EPS. Equities analysts predict that American Tower Corporation will post 10.67 EPS for the current year.

American Tower Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 12th. American Tower's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 115.67%.

Insider Transactions at American Tower

In related news, EVP Ruth T. Dowling sold 556 shares of American Tower stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.48, for a total transaction of $99,234.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 29,877 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,332,446.96. This trade represents a 1.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Rajesh Kalathur acquired 2,671 shares of American Tower stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $185.30 per share, with a total value of $494,936.30. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 4,936 shares in the company, valued at $914,640.80. This represents a 117.92% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

About American Tower

American Tower NYSE: AMT is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns, operates and develops wireless and broadcast communications infrastructure. The company's core business is leasing space on communications sites — including towers, rooftops and other structures — to wireless carriers, broadcasters, government agencies and enterprise customers. Its business model centers on long-term site leases and contracts that provide recurring revenue tied to the footprint and density of wireless networks.

Beyond traditional tower assets, American Tower offers a range of infrastructure and network services to support mobile, broadband and broadcast connectivity.

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