Investors Purchase High Volume of Empire State Realty Trust Call Options (NYSE:ESRT)

Key Points

• Traders bought 4,000 call options on Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT) on Tuesday, a roughly 10,711% increase compared with the average volume of 37 calls.
• ESRT has faced multiple analyst downgrades and price-target cuts, leaving a consensus rating of "Sell" and a consensus target price of $6.77.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.035 (annualized $0.14, yield 2.7%; ex-dividend March 13, payable March 31) and set FY2026 EPS guidance of 0.850–0.890, roughly matching analysts' 0.88 estimate.

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Traders bought 4,000 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 10,711% compared to the average volume of 37 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESRT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore set a $7.00 price objective on Empire State Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Empire State Realty Trust from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Empire State Realty Trust from $6.80 to $6.30 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Empire State Realty Trust from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Sell" and a consensus target price of $6.77.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Empire State Realty Trust

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in Empire State Realty Trust in the third quarter valued at $29,000. DRW Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Empire State Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth about $69,000. Vise Technologies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth about $71,000. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec boosted its position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 29.1% during the 4th quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 11,180 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 2,523 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at about $74,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.10% of the company's stock.

Empire State Realty Trust Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE ESRT traded up $0.05 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $5.15. The stock had a trading volume of 239,628 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,625,381. Empire State Realty Trust has a fifty-two week low of $4.87 and a fifty-two week high of $8.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a current ratio of 1.67. The business's 50-day moving average price is $5.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.69. The company has a market cap of $881.03 million, a P/E ratio of 19.79 and a beta of 1.36.

Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 for the quarter. Empire State Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.850-0.890 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Empire State Realty Trust will post 0.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Empire State Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.035 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Empire State Realty Trust's dividend payout ratio is 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.

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