Natixis Advisors LLC Makes New $236,000 Investment in Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC made a new investment of approximately $236,000 in Easterly Government Properties by acquiring 22,308 shares during the first quarter.
• Easterly Government Properties' stock recently increased by 2.2% and has a market cap of $1.02 billion, with a high of $36.31 and a low of $19.33 over the past year.
• The company has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share, reflecting a payout ratio of 175.61% and an annual yield of 8.0% as of the upcoming payment date.

Natixis Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 22,308 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $236,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties during the fourth quarter worth approximately $10,394,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 74.6% in the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,861,478 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $21,146,000 after acquiring an additional 795,058 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,056,248 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $23,359,000 after acquiring an additional 673,270 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 276.8% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 838,081 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $9,521,000 after acquiring an additional 615,688 shares during the period. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 196.2% during the fourth quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 901,102 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $10,237,000 after acquiring an additional 596,924 shares during the period. 86.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Easterly Government Properties Price Performance

Shares of DEA stock traded down $0.23 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $21.95. 518,946 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 475,445. The firm has a market cap of $995.43 million, a PE ratio of 53.54 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 3.75 and a quick ratio of 3.75. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $22.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $23.57. Easterly Government Properties, Inc. has a 1-year low of $19.33 and a 1-year high of $36.31.

Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74. The company had revenue of $80.37 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $81.73 million. Easterly Government Properties had a return on equity of 1.26% and a net margin of 5.54%. Easterly Government Properties's quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.29 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Easterly Government Properties, Inc. will post 1.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Easterly Government Properties Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 13th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.2%. Easterly Government Properties's dividend payout ratio is currently 439.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised Easterly Government Properties from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $25.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Easterly Government Properties from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, June 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Easterly Government Properties from $27.50 to $22.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $27.15.

Easterly Government Properties Company Profile

Easterly Government Properties, Inc NYSE: DEA is based in Washington, DC, and focuses primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties that are leased to the U.S. Government. Easterly's experienced management team brings specialized insight into the strategy and needs of mission-critical U.S.