First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FR) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest in First Industrial Realty Trust jumped 19.9% in March to 4,431,476 shares, equal to a short-interest ratio of 3.9 days and representing about 3.4% of shares outstanding.
• Analysts are broadly constructive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $63.29, following several recent upgrades and target increases.
• The company missed quarterly EPS ($0.59 vs. $0.76 expected) while revenue rose 7.3% year-over-year, and it raised the quarterly dividend to $0.50 (annualized $2.00, ~3.1% yield) despite a high payout ratio of 107.5%; FY2026 guidance is 3.090–3.190 EPS.

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FR - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 4,431,476 shares, an increase of 19.9% from the March 15th total of 3,695,686 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,134,164 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.9 days. Currently, 3.4% of the company's shares are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on FR shares. Scotiabank raised their price target on First Industrial Realty Trust from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded First Industrial Realty Trust from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded First Industrial Realty Trust from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $67.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Citigroup raised their price target on First Industrial Realty Trust from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Barclays restated a "positive" rating and set a $64.00 price target on shares of First Industrial Realty Trust in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Industrial Realty Trust currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $63.29.

First Industrial Realty Trust Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NYSE FR traded up $1.27 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $63.67. The company's stock had a trading volume of 742,210 shares, compared to its average volume of 911,557. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $60.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $57.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12. First Industrial Realty Trust has a 1 year low of $44.58 and a 1 year high of $64.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.23 and a beta of 1.11.

First Industrial Realty Trust (NYSE:FR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.76 by ($0.17). The company had revenue of $188.41 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $186.20 million. First Industrial Realty Trust had a net margin of 34.03% and a return on equity of 9.02%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.71 earnings per share. First Industrial Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.090-3.190 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that First Industrial Realty Trust will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

First Industrial Realty Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. This is a boost from First Industrial Realty Trust's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. First Industrial Realty Trust's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 107.53%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in First Industrial Realty Trust in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in First Industrial Realty Trust by 86.9% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 626 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in First Industrial Realty Trust in the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in First Industrial Realty Trust by 64.0% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 771 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 301 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. purchased a new position in First Industrial Realty Trust in the third quarter worth approximately $47,000. 99.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Industrial Realty Trust Company Profile

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc NYSE: FR is a publicly traded real estate investment trust focused on the ownership, operation and development of industrial real estate assets. The company specializes in light industrial, warehouse and distribution facilities that serve a broad range of end markets, including manufacturing, transportation and e-commerce. Through both acquisitions and ground-up developments, First Industrial seeks to assemble a diversified portfolio of strategically located properties that support its tenants' supply-chain needs.

Core services provided by First Industrial include property leasing, asset management, redevelopment of obsolescent buildings and build-to-suit development for creditworthy users.

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