Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) Shares Sold by Pictet Asset Management Holding SA

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA cut its stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI - Free Report) by 9.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 190,773 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 20,390 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned about 0.07% of Gaming and Leisure Properties worth $9,188,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in GLPI. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Gaming and Leisure Properties during the fourth quarter worth about $176,123,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,188,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 12,259,224 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $641,059,000 after purchasing an additional 889,698 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 6,162.9% in the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 812,981 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $41,820,000 after purchasing an additional 800,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aew Capital Management L P raised its holdings in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 1,786.5% during the fourth quarter. Aew Capital Management L P now owns 761,600 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $36,679,000 after purchasing an additional 721,230 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.14% of the company's stock.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Trading Down 2.9 %

GLPI traded down $1.40 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $46.49. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,717,923 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,236,925. Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. has a 52-week low of $41.80 and a 52-week high of $52.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $49.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $49.61. The company has a current ratio of 11.35, a quick ratio of 11.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The firm has a market cap of $12.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.20, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.72.

Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $389.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $391.54 million. Gaming and Leisure Properties had a net margin of 51.65% and a return on equity of 17.41%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. will post 3.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th were given a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.54%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. Gaming and Leisure Properties's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 105.92%.

Insider Activity at Gaming and Leisure Properties

In related news, SVP Matthew Demchyk sold 10,474 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.62, for a total value of $509,245.88. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 71,757 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,488,825.34. This trade represents a 12.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director E Scott Urdang sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.89, for a total transaction of $254,450.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 140,953 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,173,098.17. This represents a 3.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 50,933 shares of company stock worth $2,533,487. 4.37% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GLPI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays dropped their price target on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $53.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Gaming and Leisure Properties has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $54.11.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Profile

Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc engages in the provision of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements. The company was founded on February 13, 2013 and is headquartered in Wyomissing, PA.