Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Sell

Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report issued on Monday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Easterly Government Properties from $15.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Easterly Government Properties from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 6th.

Easterly Government Properties Price Performance

Easterly Government Properties stock traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $10.82. The company had a trading volume of 1,915,351 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,238,721. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $11.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $12.46. The company has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.08 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 4.01 and a quick ratio of 4.01. Easterly Government Properties has a 1 year low of $10.45 and a 1 year high of $14.52.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Darrell W. Crate acquired 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 23rd. The shares were bought at an average price of $10.91 per share, for a total transaction of $109,100.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 171,479 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,870,835.89. This trade represents a 6.19 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 8.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Easterly Government Properties

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in Easterly Government Properties by 93.0% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 327,382 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $3,719,000 after buying an additional 157,765 shares during the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 60.0% in the fourth quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 48,149 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $537,000 after acquiring an additional 18,049 shares in the last quarter. PharVision Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Easterly Government Properties in the fourth quarter valued at about $266,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 706,257 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $8,023,000 after purchasing an additional 33,951 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 303.8% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 428,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $4,862,000 after purchasing an additional 322,000 shares in the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.