Equity Lifestyle Properties (NYSE:ELS) Reaches New 1-Year Low - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Equity Lifestyle Properties fell to a new 52-week low of $58.70, trading below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages near $63.75-$63.78.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $67.88 price target, implying potential upside from current levels, though recent ratings and targets have been mixed.
• The REIT missed quarterly EPS expectations ($0.50 versus $0.72) despite 5.5% year-over-year revenue growth, while its $0.5425 quarterly dividend provides a 3.7% yield but comes with a high 104.33% payout ratio.

Shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday. The stock traded as low as $58.70 and last traded at $58.8360, with a volume of 17247 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $59.55.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ELS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered Equity Lifestyle Properties from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. UBS Group set a $65.00 price objective on Equity Lifestyle Properties in a research note on Monday. Odeon Capital Group set a $65.00 target price on Equity Lifestyle Properties in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Equity Lifestyle Properties to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties from $70.00 to $69.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Equity Lifestyle Properties has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $67.88.

Equity Lifestyle Properties Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $11.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.36, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 0.64. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $63.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.02 and a quick ratio of 0.02.

Equity Lifestyle Properties (NYSE:ELS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72 by ($0.22). Equity Lifestyle Properties had a return on equity of 22.31% and a net margin of 25.92%.The business had revenue of $397.81 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $383.66 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.69 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. will post 3.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Equity Lifestyle Properties Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 25th will be given a $0.5425 dividend. This represents a $2.17 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 25th. Equity Lifestyle Properties's payout ratio is currently 104.33%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equity Lifestyle Properties

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in Equity Lifestyle Properties by 126.8% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 415 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the period. Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new stake in Equity Lifestyle Properties in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new stake in Equity Lifestyle Properties in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Equity Lifestyle Properties in the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Equity Lifestyle Properties by 67.3% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 726 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. 97.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Equity Lifestyle Properties Company Profile

Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc NYSE: ELS is a real estate investment trust that owns, operates and manages residential communities and resort properties across the United States. Its portfolio primarily consists of manufactured home communities, recreational vehicle (RV) resorts and campgrounds.

The company provides long-term homesites for manufactured housing residents, as well as seasonal and transient accommodations for RV owners and vacationers. Its properties generally offer amenities and services such as clubhouses, swimming pools, recreational facilities, community events and utility connections.

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