Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Sells 859,237 Shares of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. $ESRT

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking reduced its stake in Empire State Realty Trust by 62.4%, selling 859,237 shares in Q4 and leaving it with 516,893 shares (about 0.30% of the company, ~$3.37M).
• Analyst sentiment is negative: the consensus rating is "Sell" with an average target of $6.35 after recent price-target cuts and downgrades from firms including Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Weiss Ratings.
• On operations, ESRT reported Q1 EPS of $0.20, set FY2026 guidance of $0.85–$0.89 (roughly in line with consensus), and highlighted leasing wins, balance-sheet actions and plans to push debt maturities to 2028 while targeting 90–92% year‑end occupancy.

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lessened its position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT - Free Report) by 62.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 516,893 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 859,237 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned approximately 0.30% of Empire State Realty Trust worth $3,370,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wolverine Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Empire State Realty Trust by 73.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 1,561,474 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $11,961,000 after acquiring an additional 659,543 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. bought a new position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust in the 3rd quarter worth $3,983,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH increased its holdings in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 131.2% in the 3rd quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 1,118,081 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $8,564,000 after buying an additional 634,543 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 59.6% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,813,895 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $29,214,000 after buying an additional 1,424,066 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 596.1% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,036,250 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $7,938,000 after buying an additional 887,375 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Empire State Realty Trust from $7.00 to $5.75 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Empire State Realty Trust from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Empire State Realty Trust from $6.80 to $6.30 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Evercore set a $7.00 price target on shares of Empire State Realty Trust in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Sell" and an average target price of $6.35.

Key Empire State Realty Trust News

Here are the key news stories impacting Empire State Realty Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings & management commentary: ESRT reported Q1 EPS of $0.20 and management framed the quarter as a solid performance with operational momentum and stable cash flow; the call emphasized leasing activity and portfolio resilience. Empire State Realty Trust Inc (ESRT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: New large office lease: Fashion retailer Steve Madden signed a ~60,000‑sf office lease at ESRT’s 501 Seventh Avenue — a tangible leasing win that helps occupancy and cash flow in ESRT’s Midtown portfolio. Steve Madden Inks 60K-SF Office Lease at ESRT’s 501 Seventh Avenue
• Positive Sentiment: Balance sheet focus: Company materials and coverage highlight a strong balance sheet despite short‑term headwinds; management reiterated liquidity and credit actions that reduce refinancing risk. ESRT Reports Strong Balance Sheet Despite Temporary Headwinds in Q1
• Positive Sentiment: Debt and occupancy targets: ESRT said it is pushing near‑term debt maturities to 2028 and is targeting 90%–92% year‑end occupancy for 2026 — both messages that reduce refinancing/operational risk and point to recovery in leasing. Empire State Realty Trust targets 90%-92% year-end occupancy for 2026 while pushing debt maturities to 2028
• Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 guidance: ESRT updated FY2026 EPS guidance to $0.850–$0.890, essentially in line with consensus (~$0.87) — guidance removes some uncertainty but doesn’t materially exceed expectations. MarketBeat guidance summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary: Multiple writeups and transcripts (Yahoo, Seeking Alpha, BusinessWire anniversary PR) provide color for investors but largely summarize the quarter rather than introduce new catalysts. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail coverage and buy/sell debate: Separate opinion pieces ask whether ESRT is a good buy now; these reflect differing risk views on valuation, leverage and NYC office fundamentals and may drive longer‑term interest but not immediate price direction. Is Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: PR/brand: The Empire State Building’s 95th anniversary is positive branding and tourist/retail traffic PR but has limited near‑term impact on core office cash flow. Empire State Building Celebrates 95 Years

Empire State Realty Trust Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESRT opened at $5.64 on Monday. Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. has a one year low of $4.87 and a one year high of $8.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $964.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.67 and a beta of 1.35. The company's fifty day moving average price is $5.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.67.

Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Empire State Realty Trust had a net margin of 5.09% and a return on equity of 2.20%. The company had revenue of $166.10 million during the quarter. Empire State Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.850-0.890 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. will post 0.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Empire State Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.035 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Empire State Realty Trust's dividend payout ratio is 53.85%.

About Empire State Realty Trust

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the ownership, management and operation of office and retail properties. The company's portfolio features the iconic Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan, alongside a diversified collection of commercial assets situated throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and select markets in Upstate New York. By offering premium office space and street-level retail, Empire State Realty Trust positions itself as a landlord of choice for corporate tenants, retailers and experiential brands seeking high-profile addresses.

Established through a spin-off of assets in early 2013, Empire State Realty Trust consolidated a mix of landmark and Class A properties, creating scale in one of the world's most competitive real estate markets.

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