Assetmark Inc. Raises Stake in Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS)

Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS) by 133.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 35,677 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,398 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc.’s holdings in Equity LifeStyle Properties were worth $2,376,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. National Pension Service purchased a new stake in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 564 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in Equity LifeStyle Properties by 68.2% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 898 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.21% of the company’s stock.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Stock Performance

Shares of ELS opened at $68.56 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $66.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $69.04. Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. has a 52-week low of $59.82 and a 52-week high of $76.60. The firm has a market cap of $13.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.16, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 0.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Equity LifeStyle Properties (NYSE:ELS) last announced its earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76. Equity LifeStyle Properties had a return on equity of 23.12% and a net margin of 24.05%. Analysts forecast that Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be issued a $0.515 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.00%. This is an increase from Equity LifeStyle Properties’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 28th. Equity LifeStyle Properties’s payout ratio is 105.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ELS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $74.00 to $73.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $69.00 to $68.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Equity LifeStyle Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $73.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised Equity LifeStyle Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $72.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Equity LifeStyle Properties currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $73.78.

About Equity LifeStyle Properties

Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the ownership and operation of lifestyle-oriented properties consisting primarily of manufactured home, and recreational vehicle communities. It operates through the following segments: Property Operations and Home Sales and Rentals Operations.