Entropy Technologies LP Acquires Shares of 1,407 AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB)

Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 1,407 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $309,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in AvalonBay Communities during the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in AvalonBay Communities in the 3rd quarter valued at about $51,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 59.9% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 478 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities during the third quarter worth about $126,000. 92.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AvalonBay Communities Stock Performance

Shares of AVB stock traded down $2.13 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $217.97. The stock had a trading volume of 741,056 shares, compared to its average volume of 650,565. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.00 billion, a PE ratio of 28.72, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.99. The stock's 50 day moving average is $219.58 and its 200 day moving average is $222.73. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a twelve month low of $172.85 and a twelve month high of $239.29.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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, research analysts forecast that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 11.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AvalonBay Communities Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $1.75 dividend. This represents a $7.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This is a boost from AvalonBay Communities's previous quarterly dividend of $1.70. AvalonBay Communities's payout ratio is 89.59%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on AVB shares. Mizuho raised shares of AvalonBay Communities from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their target price for the company from $239.00 to $242.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $244.00 to $241.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of AvalonBay Communities from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $247.00 to $262.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Morgan Stanley cut AvalonBay Communities from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and cut their price target for the company from $236.00 to $223.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Zelman & Associates raised AvalonBay Communities from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $235.73.

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.