Vanderbilt University Lowers Stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI)

Vanderbilt University cut its holdings in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) by 15.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,654 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 4,661 shares during the period. Vanderbilt University’s holdings in Gaming and Leisure Properties were worth $1,235,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 7.8% in the third 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 during the period. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,135,195 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $624,356,000 after buying an additional 162,484 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,080,860 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $312,316,000 after acquiring an additional 161,689 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 6.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 5,534,033 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $284,726,000 after acquiring an additional 341,492 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC raised its position in Gaming and Leisure Properties by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 4,287,118 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $206,468,000 after acquiring an additional 211,657 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.14% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Gaming and Leisure Properties

In other Gaming and Leisure Properties news, COO Brandon John Moore sold 3,982 shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.84, for a total transaction of $190,498.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 278,634 shares in the company, valued at $13,329,850.56. This trade represents a 1.41 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Matthew Demchyk sold 1,149 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.80, for a total transaction of $54,922.20. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 91,620 shares in the company, valued at $4,379,436. This trade represents a 1.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 33,222 shares of company stock worth $1,624,947. Insiders own 4.37% of the company’s stock.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Price Performance

Gaming and Leisure Properties stock opened at $49.08 on Thursday. 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 company has a 50-day moving average price of $48.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.79. Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. has a 12-month low of $41.80 and a 12-month high of $52.60. The stock has a market cap of $13.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.16, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.99.

Gaming and Leisure Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 6th were given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.19%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 6th. Gaming and Leisure Properties’s payout ratio is presently 106.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on GLPI shares. Scotiabank dropped their target price on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of Gaming and Leisure Properties in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. StockNews.com lowered Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Barclays initiated coverage on Gaming and Leisure Properties in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $54.53 target price on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Gaming and Leisure Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $49.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Gaming and Leisure Properties currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $53.93.

About Gaming and Leisure Properties

Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc engages in 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.