Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA) Short Interest Down 12.4% in May

Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA - Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,110,000 shares, a decrease of 12.4% from the April 30th total of 2,410,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 724,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days. Currently, 5.0% of the company's shares are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Easterly Government Properties from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Easterly Government Properties in a research report on Monday, March 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $32.50 price target on the stock. Compass Point reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $23.75 price target (down previously from $37.50) on shares of Easterly Government Properties in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Easterly Government Properties from $27.50 to $22.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $27.69.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DEA. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in Easterly Government Properties in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $193,000. Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership grew its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership now owns 1,012,520 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $10,705,000 after acquiring an additional 8,900 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 87.6% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 111,019 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,177,000 after purchasing an additional 51,832 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 271.5% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 115,677 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,226,000 after purchasing an additional 84,536 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 1.1% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 714,042 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $7,569,000 after purchasing an additional 7,785 shares in the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Easterly Government Properties Stock Up 2.2%

DEA stock traded up $0.47 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $22.37. 536,344 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 506,428. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 4.01 and a current ratio of 4.01. The firm has a market cap of $1.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 124.29 and a beta of 0.90. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $21.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.83. Easterly Government Properties has a 1-year low of $19.33 and a 1-year high of $36.31.

Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.73. The company had revenue of $78.68 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.67 million. Easterly Government Properties had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 1.34%. The firm's revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.29 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Easterly Government Properties will post 1.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Easterly Government Properties Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Saturday, May 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 6th were issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 5th. This represents a dividend yield of 8.92%. Easterly Government Properties's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 171.43%.

About Easterly Government Properties

Easterly Government Properties, Inc NYSE: DEA is based in Washington, DC, and focuses primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties that are leased to the U.S. Government. Easterly's experienced management team brings specialized insight into the strategy and needs of mission-critical U.S.