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 during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $10.50 and last traded at $10.56, with a volume of 179237 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $10.63.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Easterly Government Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped 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 dropped 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 firm has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a PE ratio of 59.47 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 4.01 and a current ratio of 4.01. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $11.23 and a 200 day moving average of $12.52.

Easterly Government Properties Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Easterly Government Properties

In other Easterly Government Properties news, CEO Darrell W. Crate acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $10.91 per share, for a total transaction of $109,100.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 171,479 shares in the company, valued at $1,870,835.89. This trade represents a 6.19 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 8.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Easterly Government Properties

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 814.7% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 3,110 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 2,770 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 35.6% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 3,798 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 997 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 604.0% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 5,878 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 5,043 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Easterly Government Properties in the 4th quarter worth approximately $70,000. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its position in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 62.4% in the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 5,242 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 2,014 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.51% of the company’s stock.

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.