Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE) Rating Increased to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Urban Edge Properties has been upgraded from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating by analysts at Wall Street Zen, indicating a more favorable outlook for the company.
• For the last quarter, Urban Edge reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.36, surpassing analysts' expectations of $0.34.
• Institutional investors have significantly increased their stakes in Urban Edge Properties, with Vanguard Group growing its position by 1.7% and FMR LLC by 6.0%.

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Saturday.

Urban Edge Properties Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UE traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $19.64. 597,317 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 973,290. Urban Edge Properties has a 1 year low of $15.66 and a 1 year high of $23.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.39 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 2.39 and a current ratio of 2.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $18.90 and a 200 day moving average of $19.02.

Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $113.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $115.99 million. Urban Edge Properties had a return on equity of 7.74% and a net margin of 22.86%. On average, analysts forecast that Urban Edge Properties will post 1.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Urban Edge Properties Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 13th were given a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 13th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. Urban Edge Properties's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.48%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Urban Edge Properties news, General Counsel Robert C. Milton sold 26,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.78, for a total value of $488,280.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. acquired a new position in shares of Urban Edge Properties in the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Urban Edge Properties in the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Urban Edge Properties by 50.3% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,494 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 1,169 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S acquired a new stake in Urban Edge Properties during the 1st quarter worth approximately $79,000. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC lifted its position in Urban Edge Properties by 1,058.9% during the 1st quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 4,230 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 3,865 shares during the period. 94.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Urban Edge Properties Company Profile

Urban Edge Properties is a NYSE listed real estate investment trust focused on owning, managing, acquiring, developing, and redeveloping retail real estate in urban communities, primarily in the Washington, DC to Boston corridor. Urban Edge owns 76 properties totaling 17.1 million square feet of gross leasable area.