First Trust Advisors LP Buys 2,335,409 Shares of Equity Commonwealth (NYSE:EQC)

First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Equity Commonwealth (NYSE:EQC - Free Report) by 1,735.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,469,959 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after acquiring an additional 2,335,409 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 2.30% of Equity Commonwealth worth $4,372,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Alberta Investment Management Corp raised its stake in shares of Equity Commonwealth by 462.3% during the 4th quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp now owns 8,665,543 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $15,338,000 after purchasing an additional 7,124,543 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Equity Commonwealth by 923.0% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 4,247,401 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $7,518,000 after buying an additional 3,832,214 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in shares of Equity Commonwealth by 490.0% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,970,198 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $3,487,000 after buying an additional 1,636,252 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in shares of Equity Commonwealth by 27.5% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,400,871 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,480,000 after acquiring an additional 301,786 shares during the period. Finally, Yakira Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Equity Commonwealth by 1,577.5% during the fourth quarter. Yakira Capital Management Inc. now owns 858,859 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,520,000 after acquiring an additional 807,659 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.00% of the company's stock.

Equity Commonwealth Price Performance

NYSE:EQC remained flat at $1.58 during trading hours on Wednesday. Equity Commonwealth has a 1-year low of $1.40 and a 1-year high of $21.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.10. The firm has a market cap of $169.73 million, a P/E ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.57.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Equity Commonwealth in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. They issued a "sell" rating on the stock.

Equity Commonwealth Profile

Equity Commonwealth NYSE: EQC is a Chicago based, internally managed and self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) with commercial office properties in the United States. EQC's portfolio is comprised of four properties totaling 1.5 million square feet.