Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report issued on Wednesday morning.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Compass Point reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $23.75 price objective (down from $37.50) on shares of Easterly Government Properties in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Easterly Government Properties in a research note on Monday, March 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $32.50 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Easterly Government Properties from $30.00 to $27.50 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Easterly Government Properties presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $29.06.

Easterly Government Properties Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of DEA stock opened at $20.08 on Wednesday. Easterly Government Properties has a 52-week low of $19.33 and a 52-week high of $36.31. The stock has a market cap of $901.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 111.53 and a beta of 0.90. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $23.83 and its 200-day moving average is $27.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 4.01 and a current ratio of 4.01.

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

Easterly Government Properties Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, May 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 6th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a yield of 8.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 5th. Easterly Government Properties’s dividend payout ratio is currently 171.43%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Easterly Government Properties during the fourth quarter worth approximately $10,394,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 74.6% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,861,478 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $21,146,000 after purchasing an additional 795,058 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,056,248 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $23,359,000 after purchasing an additional 673,270 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 276.8% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 838,081 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $9,521,000 after purchasing an additional 615,688 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its position in Easterly Government Properties by 196.2% during the fourth quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 901,102 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $10,237,000 after purchasing an additional 596,924 shares during the period. 86.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Easterly Government Properties Company Profile

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.