Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. Has $44.70 Million Stake in Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE:MAA)

Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. boosted its stake in Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE:MAA) by 271.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 289,188 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after purchasing an additional 211,308 shares during the period. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. owned about 0.25% of Mid-America Apartment Communities worth $44,700,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of Mid-America Apartment Communities by 37.2% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 251 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Mid-America Apartment Communities during the third quarter worth about $45,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of Mid-America Apartment Communities by 30.5% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 321 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Mid-America Apartment Communities by 57.8% in the fourth quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 363 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 133 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Mid-America Apartment Communities in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $63,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.60% of the company’s stock.

Mid-America Apartment Communities Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of MAA stock opened at $164.68 on Friday. Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. has a 52-week low of $123.73 and a 52-week high of $173.38. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $159.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $157.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.08 and a current ratio of 0.08. The company has a market capitalization of $19.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.76, a PEG ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 0.90.

Mid-America Apartment Communities (NYSE:MAA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.04 by $1.19. Mid-America Apartment Communities had a net margin of 24.03% and a return on equity of 8.53%. Research analysts anticipate that Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. will post 8.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mid-America Apartment Communities Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be paid a $1.515 dividend. This represents a $6.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. Mid-America Apartment Communities’s dividend payout ratio is currently 135.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on MAA shares. KeyCorp raised shares of Mid-America Apartment Communities from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Scotiabank raised Mid-America Apartment Communities from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $173.00 to $182.00 in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Mid-America Apartment Communities from $152.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Mid-America Apartment Communities from $158.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Mid-America Apartment Communities from $163.00 to $159.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Mid-America Apartment Communities has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $168.90.

About Mid-America Apartment Communities

Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the operation, acquisition, and development of apartment communities. It operates through the Same Store and Non-Same Store segments. The Same Store Communities segment represents those apartment communities that have been owned and stabilized for at least 12 months as of the first day of the calendar year.