Short Interest in Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE) Decreases By 16.7%

Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 3,050,000 shares, a decrease of 16.7% from the February 13th total of 3,660,000 shares. Approximately 2.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 847,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.6 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Urban Edge Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of Urban Edge Properties from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th.

Urban Edge Properties Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE UE traded up $0.04 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $18.79. 24,893 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 815,053. Urban Edge Properties has a 12-month low of $15.81 and a 12-month high of $23.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 1.92. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $20.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.27. The firm has a market cap of $2.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.85 and a beta of 1.54.

Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.09 by $0.25. Urban Edge Properties had a net margin of 16.31% and a return on equity of 5.59%. As a group, analysts expect that Urban Edge Properties will post 1.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Urban Edge Properties Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from Urban Edge Properties’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. Urban Edge Properties’s dividend payout ratio is 128.81%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Urban Edge Properties

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UE. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. purchased a new stake in Urban Edge Properties in the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Urban Edge Properties in the fourth quarter worth about $49,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Urban Edge Properties by 76.9% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,367 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 1,029 shares during the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Urban Edge Properties by 858.7% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 3,969 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 3,555 shares during the last quarter. Finally, USA Financial Formulas purchased a new stake in shares of Urban Edge Properties during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $93,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.94% of the company’s stock.

Urban Edge Properties Company Profile

Urban Edge Properties is a NYSE listed real estate investment trust focused on owning, managing, acquiring, developing, and redeveloping retail real estate in urban communities, primarily in the Washington, DC to Boston corridor. Urban Edge owns 76 properties totaling 17.1 million square feet of gross leasable area.