Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE:BRX) Short Interest Update

Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE:BRX - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,030,000 shares, an increase of 5.4% from the November 30th total of 8,570,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,040,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.4 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on BRX. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Brixmor Property Group from $28.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Brixmor Property Group from $32.00 to $31.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Brixmor Property Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their price target for the company from $30.00 to $33.00 in a report on Friday, December 6th. Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of Brixmor Property Group from $29.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Monday, November 25th. Finally, Compass Point upped their price target on Brixmor Property Group from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $30.19.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Steven F. Siegel sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.54, for a total transaction of $738,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 315,004 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,305,218.16. This trade represents a 7.35 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.76% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. RWC Asset Management LLP boosted its stake in shares of Brixmor Property Group by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. RWC Asset Management LLP now owns 831,076 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $19,190,000 after buying an additional 4,284 shares during the period. Wolverine Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Brixmor Property Group in the second quarter worth approximately $494,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Brixmor Property Group by 57.6% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 298,704 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $6,897,000 after acquiring an additional 109,149 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System increased its position in shares of Brixmor Property Group by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 84,348 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,948,000 after purchasing an additional 1,737 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brixmor Property Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,093,000. 98.43% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Brixmor Property Group Stock Performance

NYSE:BRX traded up $0.38 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $27.84. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,135,594 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,254,013. Brixmor Property Group has a fifty-two week low of $20.80 and a fifty-two week high of $30.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.38. The firm has a market cap of $8.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 1.58. The firm's 50 day moving average is $28.65 and its 200-day moving average is $26.77.

Brixmor Property Group (NYSE:BRX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.21). The company had revenue of $320.68 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $320.22 million. Brixmor Property Group had a return on equity of 11.48% and a net margin of 25.81%. Brixmor Property Group's revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Brixmor Property Group will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brixmor Property Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Friday, January 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.287 per share. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.12%. This is an increase from Brixmor Property Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 3rd. Brixmor Property Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 106.48%.

Brixmor Property Group Company Profile

Brixmor NYSE: BRX is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and operates a high-quality, national portfolio of open-air shopping centers. Its 362 retail centers comprise approximately 64 million square feet of prime retail space in established trade areas. The Company strives to own and operate shopping centers that reflect Brixmor's vision to be the center of the communities we serve and are home to a diverse mix of thriving national, regional and local retailers.