Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) Hits New 1-Year Low – Here’s What Happened

Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA)’s share price reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $10.50 and last traded at $10.56, with a volume of 179237 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $10.63.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on DEA shares. StockNews.com raised Easterly Government Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Easterly Government Properties from $15.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on Easterly Government Properties from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 6th.

Easterly Government Properties Trading Up 2.0 %

The company has a quick ratio of 4.01, a current ratio of 4.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. The firm has a market cap of $1.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 59.47 and a beta of 0.70. The business has a 50 day moving average of $11.23 and a 200 day moving average of $12.52.

Easterly Government Properties Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.265 per share. This represents a $1.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.90%. Easterly Government Properties’s payout ratio is currently 588.89%.

Insider Activity at Easterly Government Properties

In related news, CEO Darrell W. Crate acquired 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $10.91 per share, with a total value of $109,100.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 171,479 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,870,835.89. The trade was a 6.19 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 8.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Easterly Government Properties

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 93.0% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 327,382 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $3,719,000 after buying an additional 157,765 shares during the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 60.0% in the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 48,149 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $537,000 after buying an additional 18,049 shares during the last quarter. PharVision Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Easterly Government Properties in the 4th quarter worth about $266,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 706,257 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $8,023,000 after buying an additional 33,951 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 303.8% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 428,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $4,862,000 after buying an additional 322,000 shares during the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.