Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $54.11.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on GLPI shares. Mizuho upped their target price on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $57.00 to $56.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $53.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, January 15th.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ GLPI opened at $49.52 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 11.35, a quick ratio of 11.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. Gaming and Leisure Properties has a 12-month low of $42.20 and a 12-month high of $52.60. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $49.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.72.

Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.01. Gaming and Leisure Properties had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 51.65%. The business had revenue of $389.62 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $391.54 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Gaming and Leisure Properties will post 3.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.14%. Gaming and Leisure Properties’s payout ratio is 105.92%.

Insider Transactions at Gaming and Leisure Properties

In other news, Director E Scott Urdang sold 5,000 shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.89, for a total transaction of $254,450.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 140,953 shares in the company, valued at $7,173,098.17. The trade was a 3.43 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Matthew Demchyk sold 10,474 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.62, for a total transaction of $509,245.88. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 71,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,488,825.34. This represents a 12.74 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 50,933 shares of company stock worth $2,533,487 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 4.37% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gaming and Leisure Properties

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GLPI. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. CKW Financial Group raised its position in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 75.0% in the fourth quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 700 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Quarry LP lifted its stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 52.5% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 979 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 149.8% during the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,029 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares during the period. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties during the 1st quarter worth about $51,000. 91.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Company Profile

Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc engages in the provision of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements. The company was founded on February 13, 2013 and is headquartered in Wyomissing, PA.