Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT) Share Price Crosses Below 200-Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• ESRT shares fell below their 200-day moving average, trading as low as $4.57 versus the $5.08 average, and last changing hands near $4.61.
• Analyst sentiment is largely negative: the stock has a consensus “Sell” rating, with an average price target of $5.00 and recent downgrades or target-price cuts from several firms.
• The REIT pays a $0.035 quarterly dividend, equal to a 3.0% annualized yield, but its 200% payout ratio raises questions about dividend sustainability; institutional investors own 67.1% of the shares.

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $5.08 and traded as low as $4.57. Empire State Realty Trust shares last traded at $4.6110, with a volume of 5,687,351 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on ESRT shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Empire State Realty Trust in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of 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. Evercore set a $5.00 target price on shares of Empire State Realty Trust in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Empire State Realty Trust from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Empire State Realty Trust from $6.00 to $5.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Sell" and an average price target of $5.00.

Empire State Realty Trust Trading Down 0.2%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $4.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $798.30 million, a PE ratio of 65.88 and a beta of 1.40.

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

Empire State Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a dividend of $0.0350 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $0.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Empire State Realty Trust's payout ratio is presently 200.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Empire State Realty Trust

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 380.9% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 9,205 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 7,291 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 92.1% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 22,083 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 10,590 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Empire State Realty Trust during the second quarter worth $105,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP acquired a new stake in shares of Empire State Realty Trust during the second quarter worth $447,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its stake in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 43.4% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 136,077 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $736,000 after buying an additional 41,191 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.10% of the company's stock.

Empire State Realty Trust Company Profile

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc is a self-managed real estate investment trust that owns, manages and operates office, retail and multifamily properties in the greater New York metropolitan area. The company's portfolio is concentrated in Manhattan and includes prominent commercial properties serving businesses across a range of industries.

The company is best known for owning the Empire State Building, one of New York City's most recognizable landmarks. In addition to office and retail leasing, Empire State Realty Trust operates the Empire State Building Observatory, which provides visitors with observation experiences, exhibits and related services.

Empire State Realty Trust was established in 2011 and became a publicly traded company in 2013.

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