Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Stake in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB)

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) by 0.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 22,575,892 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after purchasing an additional 30,092 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 15.87% of AvalonBay Communities worth $4,966,019,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AVB. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in AvalonBay Communities during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in AvalonBay Communities during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in AvalonBay Communities during the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in AvalonBay Communities in the 4th quarter valued at $66,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in AvalonBay Communities by 312.5% in the fourth quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 363 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. 92.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AvalonBay Communities Stock Performance

Shares of AVB opened at $214.40 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 1.64. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a 1 year low of $177.40 and a 1 year high of $239.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $217.86 and a 200-day moving average of $222.78. The company has a market cap of $30.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 1.00.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.83 by ($0.03). AvalonBay Communities had a return on equity of 9.15% and a net margin of 37.13%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 11.48 earnings per share for the current year.

AvalonBay Communities Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $1.75 per share. This represents a $7.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.26%. This is an increase from AvalonBay Communities’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.70. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. AvalonBay Communities’s payout ratio is 92.23%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on AVB shares. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $226.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Zelman & Associates raised shares of AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $230.00 to $226.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $247.00 to $262.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $229.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $238.64.

AvalonBay Communities Profile

AvalonBay Communities, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the development, acquisition, ownership, and operation of multifamily communities. It operates through the following segments: Same Store, Other Stabilized, and Development or Redevelopment. The Same Store segment refers to the operating communities that were owned and had stabilized occupancy.