Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the fourteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $54.50.

Several research firms have commented on GLPI. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $51.00 to $49.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $56.00 to $54.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 28th. Mizuho raised their target price on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. Scotiabank reduced their price target on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $49.00 to $48.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $53.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Stock Performance

Shares of GLPI traded down $0.23 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $46.09. 1,420,608 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,322,982. The company has a quick ratio of 11.35, a current ratio of 11.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $47.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $48.64. Gaming and Leisure Properties has a 12-month low of $42.86 and a 12-month high of $52.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.81.

Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.96 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.96. The firm had revenue of $395.24 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $396.27 million. Gaming and Leisure Properties had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 51.65%. The company's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.92 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Gaming and Leisure Properties will post 3.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be paid a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This is a positive change from Gaming and Leisure Properties's previous quarterly dividend of $0.76. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.77%. Gaming and Leisure Properties's payout ratio is currently 111.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director E Scott Urdang sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.89, for a total transaction of $254,450.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 140,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,173,098.17. The trade was a 3.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Matthew Demchyk sold 1,903 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.99, for a total transaction of $98,936.97. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 41,298 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,147,083.02. This represents a 4.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 4.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Gaming and Leisure Properties

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GLPI. Strs Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $15,446,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 731.7% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 2,212,612 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $112,622,000 after buying an additional 1,946,575 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties during the first quarter worth about $1,154,000. Everstar Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties during the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,602,000. Finally, Presima Securities ULC raised its stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 10.0% in the first quarter. Presima Securities ULC now owns 746,719 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $38,008,000 after acquiring an additional 67,632 shares in the last quarter. 91.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Gaming and Leisure Properties

Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc engages in the provision of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements. The company was founded on February 13, 2013 and is headquartered in Wyomissing, PA.