Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT) Reaches New 12-Month Low - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• ESRT shares fell to a new 52-week low of $4.34, below both their 50-day moving average of $5.08 and 200-day moving average of $5.31.
• Analyst sentiment is predominantly bearish: the stock has a consensus “Sell” rating from MarketBeat, with a $5.17 average price target; recent firms have lowered targets and issued neutral, underweight, or sell ratings.
• The REIT reported a quarterly loss of $0.15 per share and pays a $0.035 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 3.2% yield, though its 200% payout ratio raises questions about dividend sustainability.

Shares of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $4.34 and last traded at $4.3350, with a volume of 391750 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $4.40.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on ESRT shares. Evercore set a $5.50 price target on Empire State Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Citigroup cut their target price on Empire State Realty Trust from $5.75 to $5.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Empire State Realty Trust in a report on Friday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Empire State Realty Trust from $6.00 to $5.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Empire State Realty Trust from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Empire State Realty Trust currently has a consensus rating of "Sell" and a consensus price target of $5.17.

Empire State Realty Trust Price Performance

The company's 50 day moving average price is $5.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.31. The stock has a market cap of $747.06 million, a P/E ratio of 61.65 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15.

Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter. Empire State Realty Trust had a net margin of 0.93% and a return on equity of 0.40%. The company had revenue of $196.90 million during the quarter. Empire State Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.750-0.790 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. will post 0.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Empire State Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.035 dividend. This represents a $0.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Empire State Realty Trust's payout ratio is currently 200.00%.

Institutional Trading of Empire State Realty Trust

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 86.1% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 11,078 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 5,124 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Empire State Realty Trust during the first quarter worth $60,000. DRW Securities LLC bought a new position in Empire State Realty Trust during the fourth quarter worth $69,000. Vise Technologies Inc. acquired a new position in Empire State Realty Trust in the fourth quarter valued at $71,000. Finally, Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec lifted its holdings in Empire State Realty Trust by 29.1% in the fourth quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 11,180 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 2,523 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.10% of the company's stock.

About Empire State Realty Trust

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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