Analysts Set Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) Price Target at $52.18

Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $52.54.

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $57.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $52.00 to $51.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Gaming and Leisure Properties news, COO Brandon John Moore sold 30,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.05, for a total value of $1,546,545.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 208,977 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,459,298.85. This represents a 12.88 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director E Scott Urdang sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.39, for a total transaction of $151,170.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 146,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,397,252. The trade was a 2.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 53,758 shares of company stock worth $2,717,922 in the last quarter. Insiders own 4.37% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gaming and Leisure Properties

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 27.4% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 309,882 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $14,276,000 after purchasing an additional 66,601 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties in the 1st quarter worth about $2,396,000. Lasalle Investment Management Securities LLC grew its position in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Lasalle Investment Management Securities LLC now owns 1,479,756 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $68,172,000 after purchasing an additional 21,667 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,165,000. Finally, Caxton Associates LP grew its position in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 72.5% during the 1st quarter. Caxton Associates LP now owns 24,282 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,119,000 after acquiring an additional 10,209 shares during the period. 91.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Stock Performance

NASDAQ GLPI opened at $49.19 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $50.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $48.22. The stock has a market cap of $13.50 billion, a PE ratio of 17.20, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.99. Gaming and Leisure Properties has a fifty-two week low of $41.80 and a fifty-two week high of $52.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 11.35 and a current ratio of 11.35.

Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.25). The firm had revenue of $385.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $385.09 million. Gaming and Leisure Properties had a net margin of 51.93% and a return on equity of 17.31%. The business’s revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.92 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Gaming and Leisure Properties will post 3.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.18%. Gaming and Leisure Properties’s dividend payout ratio is presently 106.29%.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Company Profile

GLPI is engaged in the business of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements, pursuant to which the tenant is responsible for all facility maintenance, insurance required in connection with the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties, taxes levied on or with respect to the leased properties and all utilities and other services necessary or appropriate for the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties.