Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $49.37 Million Stake in COPT Defense Properties $CDP

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group reduced its stake in COPT Defense Properties by 3.7% in the fourth quarter, but still held 1,775,990 shares worth about $49.37 million.
• COPT Defense Properties reported Q1 earnings of $0.34 per share, missing estimates, though revenue came in at $200.64 million and rose 6.8% year over year. The company also issued FY 2026 guidance of 2.730-2.790 EPS.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.32 per share, implying an annualized yield of about 4.0%. Analysts remain cautiously bullish, with an average rating of Moderate Buy and a target price of $34.38.

Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its stake in shares of COPT Defense Properties (NYSE:CDP - Free Report) by 3.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,775,990 shares of the company's stock after selling 68,034 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 1.57% of COPT Defense Properties worth $49,373,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of CDP. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of COPT Defense Properties by 1,176.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,685 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 1,553 shares during the period. Optima Capital LLC acquired a new stake in COPT Defense Properties in the 4th quarter valued at $63,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its position in COPT Defense Properties by 59.6% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,193 shares of the company's stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 1,192 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in COPT Defense Properties by 33.4% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 3,300 shares of the company's stock valued at $92,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in COPT Defense Properties by 45.7% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,975 shares of the company's stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares during the period.

COPT Defense Properties Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CDP opened at $31.69 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.85, a quick ratio of 3.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $31.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $30.41. COPT Defense Properties has a 1-year low of $26.37 and a 1-year high of $33.29. The stock has a market cap of $3.59 billion, a PE ratio of 22.96 and a beta of 0.80.

COPT Defense Properties (NYSE:CDP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.34). COPT Defense Properties had a net margin of 20.10% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The company had revenue of $200.64 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $185.10 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.65 earnings per share. COPT Defense Properties's revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. COPT Defense Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.730-2.790 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.680-0.700 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that COPT Defense Properties will post 2.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

COPT Defense Properties Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This is a boost from COPT Defense Properties's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. COPT Defense Properties's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 92.75%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other COPT Defense Properties news, Director Philip L. Hawkins sold 5,536 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.71, for a total transaction of $181,082.56. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 15,188 shares in the company, valued at approximately $496,799.48. This trade represents a 26.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.66% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on CDP shares. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of COPT Defense Properties from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of COPT Defense Properties from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of COPT Defense Properties from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $38.00 price target on shares of COPT Defense Properties in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $37.00 price target on shares of COPT Defense Properties in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $34.38.

COPT Defense Properties Profile

COPT Defense Properties NYSE: CDP is a real estate investment trust organized to own, lease and manage healthcare and life science facilities serving the United States federal government, with a particular focus on Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs tenants. The company was formed in 2016 through a spin-off from Corporate Office Properties Trust, enabling it to concentrate exclusively on medical office buildings and specialized research facilities situated on or near military and federal research campuses.

The company's portfolio comprises purpose-built, Class A medical office and outpatient specialty clinics, as well as life science laboratories.

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