Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Buys New Position in Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI)

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 75,000 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $3,701,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 203.0% during the 1st quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 512 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 343 shares during the period. Operose Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. purchased a new position in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in the 1st quarter worth approximately $43,000. RVW Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. boosted its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 166.2% in the 4th quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 1,203 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 751 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.14% of the company's stock.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Stock Performance

NASDAQ:GLPI traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $42.81. The stock had a trading volume of 1,596,592 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,437,364. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $45.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.05. Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. has a 12-month low of $42.44 and a 12-month high of $52.45. The company has a quick ratio of 7.41, a current ratio of 7.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48. The stock has a market cap of $11.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.45, a P/E/G ratio of 5.37 and a beta of 0.94.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th were given a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Gaming and Leisure Properties's previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.10%. Gaming and Leisure Properties's payout ratio is currently 109.75%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GLPI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 21st. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 7th. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a "market outperform" rating and issued a $53.00 price objective on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in a research note on Monday, March 4th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Gaming and Leisure Properties currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $52.09.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director E Scott Urdang bought 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $45.00 per share, with a total value of $112,500.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 156,685 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,050,825. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 4.40% of the company's stock.

About Gaming and Leisure Properties

GLPI is engaged in the business of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements, pursuant to which the tenant is responsible for all facility maintenance, insurance required in connection with the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties, taxes levied on or with respect to the leased properties and all utilities and other services necessary or appropriate for the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties.