Natixis Advisors LLC Boosts Holdings in Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS)

Natixis Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS) by 10.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 29,427 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,751 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Equity LifeStyle Properties were worth $1,960,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of ELS. Fore Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 4th quarter valued at $1,332,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties during the fourth quarter valued at $774,000. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its position in Equity LifeStyle Properties by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 11,446 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $762,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in Equity LifeStyle Properties by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 113,007 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $7,526,000 after purchasing an additional 38,401 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in Equity LifeStyle Properties in the 4th quarter valued at about $659,000. 97.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ELS opened at $68.01 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $66.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $68.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.00 billion, a PE ratio of 34.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.02 and a quick ratio of 0.03. Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. has a 12 month low of $59.82 and a 12 month high of $76.60.

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

Equity LifeStyle Properties Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Investors of record on Friday, March 28th will be given a dividend of $0.515 per share. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.03%. This is a boost 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 dividend payout ratio is 105.64%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ELS has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $72.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Evercore ISI cut their price target on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $74.00 to $73.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Equity LifeStyle Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $66.00 to $73.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased 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 note on Wednesday, January 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus 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.