Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Buys 2,118,859 Shares of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. $ESRT

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its stake in Empire State Realty Trust by 204.5% in Q4, purchasing 2,118,859 shares to own 3,155,109 shares (about 1.85% of the company) worth roughly $20.57 million.
• Analyst sentiment is negative: the stock has a consensus rating of "Sell" with an average target price of $6.35 after multiple downgrades and lower price targets from firms including Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Weiss.
• ESRT trades near $5.49 (50-day SMA $5.55, 200-day SMA $6.47) with a market cap around $939M, pays a $0.035 quarterly dividend (≈2.6% yield), and set FY2026 guidance of $0.85–$0.89 EPS versus analyst expectations of $0.88.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its stake in Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT - Free Report) by 204.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,155,109 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after purchasing an additional 2,118,859 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned 1.85% of Empire State Realty Trust worth $20,571,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in Empire State Realty Trust during the third quarter worth $29,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Empire State Realty Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at $74,000. Abacus Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Empire State Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at $77,000. Oak Thistle LLC bought a new position in Empire State Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at $92,000. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in Empire State Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter worth $94,000. Institutional investors own 67.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ESRT. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Empire State Realty Trust from $7.00 to $5.75 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Empire State Realty Trust from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut 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 objective on shares of Empire State Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Sell" and an average target price of $6.35.

Empire State Realty Trust Stock Up 0.5%

ESRT stock opened at $5.49 on Friday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $5.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $6.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. has a 1-year low of $4.87 and a 1-year high of $8.76. The stock has a market cap of $939.25 million, a P/E ratio of 21.10 and a beta of 1.38.

Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Empire State Realty Trust had a return on equity of 2.59% and a net margin of 6.06%.The firm had revenue of $199.22 million during the quarter. Empire State Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.850-0.890 EPS. Analysts expect that Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. will post 0.88 EPS for the current year.

Empire State Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were given a dividend of $0.035 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Empire State Realty Trust's dividend payout ratio is presently 53.85%.

Empire State Realty Trust Company Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.