Citigroup Inc. Increases Position in Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI)

Citigroup Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) by 4.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 294,479 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 13,267 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. owned about 0.11% of Gaming and Leisure Properties worth $15,151,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Ignite Planners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 1.8% in the second quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 12,181 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $543,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 0.7% in the second quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 33,990 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,537,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 0.3% in the second quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 90,749 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $4,103,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 3.6% during the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 7,948 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $409,000 after buying an additional 278 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 1.4% during the third quarter. Marshall Financial Group LLC now owns 20,917 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,076,000 after buying an additional 289 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.14% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Gaming and Leisure Properties

In other news, CFO Desiree A. Burke sold 12,973 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.02, for a total transaction of $674,855.46. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 108,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,621,957.46. This represents a 10.72 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director E Scott Urdang sold 3,000 shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.39, for a total value of $151,170.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 146,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,397,252. This represents a 2.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 22,858 shares of company stock worth $1,171,377 in the last three months. Company insiders own 4.37% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on GLPI. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $52.00 price target (up from $51.00) on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $53.25 to $57.50 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $49.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. StockNews.com cut Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price target on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $52.00 to $51.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Gaming and Leisure Properties presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $53.32.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Price Performance

NASDAQ:GLPI opened at $51.66 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $50.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.56. The firm has a market cap of $14.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.06, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.99. 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, Inc. has a one year low of $41.80 and a one year high of $52.60.

Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI) last issued its 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 company had revenue of $385.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $385.09 million. Gaming and Leisure Properties had a return on equity of 17.31% and a net margin of 51.93%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.92 EPS. Research analysts expect that Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. will post 3.67 EPS for the current year.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 6th. Gaming and Leisure Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.