Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) Hits New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low on Friday . The stock traded as low as $10.72 and last traded at $10.77, with a volume of 189165 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.92.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Easterly Government Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Easterly Government Properties from $15.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of 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 Price Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $11.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of 59.92 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.

Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.29 by ($0.24). The company had revenue of $74.78 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $74.98 million. Easterly Government Properties had a return on equity of 1.34% and a net margin of 6.25%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.29 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Easterly Government Properties, Inc. will post 1.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Easterly Government Properties

In other news, CEO Darrell W. Crate purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $10.91 per share, for a total transaction of $109,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 171,479 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,870,835.89. The trade was a 6.19 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 8.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Easterly Government Properties

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of 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 worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 997 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 29.1% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,881 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 875 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in Easterly Government Properties by 62.4% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 5,242 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 2,014 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Easterly Government Properties in the third quarter valued at about $142,000. Finally, Inceptionr LLC bought a new position in Easterly Government Properties during the fourth quarter worth about $122,000. 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.