Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE:BRX) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE:BRX) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,790,000 shares, a growth of 28.1% from the June 30th total of 7,640,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,060,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.8 days.

Brixmor Property Group Price Performance

Brixmor Property Group stock opened at $24.56 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $7.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.41, a PEG ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $22.82 and a 200 day simple moving average of $22.56. Brixmor Property Group has a 52 week low of $19.46 and a 52 week high of $24.97.

Brixmor Property Group (NYSE:BRX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.51 by ($0.22). The company had revenue of $320.24 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $314.82 million. Brixmor Property Group had a return on equity of 9.84% and a net margin of 22.47%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.50 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Brixmor Property Group will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brixmor Property Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 2nd were given a $0.2725 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 2nd. This represents a $1.09 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.44%. Brixmor Property Group’s payout ratio is 117.21%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Steven F. Siegel sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.00, for a total value of $240,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 360,004 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,640,096. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.76% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Brixmor Property Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BRX. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in Brixmor Property Group by 258.9% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,396 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 1,007 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Brixmor Property Group in the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in Brixmor Property Group in the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Brixmor Property Group in the 1st quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Brixmor Property Group by 50.7% during the 1st quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,305 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 775 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BRX shares. StockNews.com upgraded Brixmor Property Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 1st. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Brixmor Property Group from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Brixmor Property Group from $27.00 to $26.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Brixmor Property Group from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $25.13.

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.