Allianz SE Makes New Investment in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB)

Allianz SE purchased a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 1,373 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $302,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AVB. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AvalonBay Communities in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in AvalonBay Communities during the fourth quarter worth $44,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the 4th quarter valued at about $66,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 312.5% during the fourth quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 363 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its stake in AvalonBay Communities by 42.6% during the 4th quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 442 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. 92.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on AVB shares. Evercore ISI raised their target price on AvalonBay Communities from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $247.00 to $262.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Barclays dropped their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $230.00 to $226.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $226.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Zelman & Associates raised shares of AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $238.64.

AvalonBay Communities Stock Performance

Shares of AvalonBay Communities stock opened at $213.50 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $30.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 1.00. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a one year low of $177.40 and a one year high of $239.29. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $217.50 and its 200-day moving average is $222.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.64.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.83 by ($0.03). AvalonBay Communities had a net margin of 37.13% and a return on equity of 9.15%. Equities analysts predict that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 11.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AvalonBay Communities Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $1.75 per share. This represents a $7.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This is a positive change from AvalonBay Communities’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.70. AvalonBay Communities’s dividend payout ratio is presently 92.23%.

About AvalonBay Communities

AvalonBay Communities, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the development, acquisition, ownership, and operation of multifamily communities. It operates through the following segments: Same Store, Other Stabilized, and Development or Redevelopment. The Same Store segment refers to the operating communities that were owned and had stabilized occupancy.