Insider Selling: Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) SVP Sells 1,149 Shares of Stock

Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) SVP Matthew Demchyk sold 1,149 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.80, for a total transaction of $54,922.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 91,620 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,379,436. The trade was a 1.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:GLPI opened at $47.10 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $12.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.47, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 11.35 and a quick ratio of 11.35. Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. has a 12 month low of $41.80 and a 12 month high of $52.60. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $49.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.51.

Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.25). Gaming and Leisure Properties had a return on equity of 17.31% and a net margin of 51.93%. The firm had revenue of $385.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $385.09 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.92 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. will post 3.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th were issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 6th. Gaming and Leisure Properties’s payout ratio is 106.29%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays started coverage on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $54.53 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $52.00 price objective (up previously from $51.00) on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $49.00 to $54.00 in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $53.25 to $57.50 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $52.00 to $51.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $54.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gaming and Leisure Properties

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 647.0% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,025,526 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $104,213,000 after purchasing an additional 1,754,370 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 12,259,224 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $641,059,000 after acquiring an additional 889,698 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 25.3% during the 3rd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 4,075,461 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $209,682,000 after acquiring an additional 821,634 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 6,162.9% during the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 812,981 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $41,820,000 after acquiring an additional 800,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in the 3rd quarter worth $27,057,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.14% of the company’s stock.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Company Profile

GLPI is engaged in the business of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements, pursuant to which the tenant is responsible for all facility maintenance, insurance required in connection with the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties, taxes levied on or with respect to the leased properties and all utilities and other services necessary or appropriate for the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties.