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Investing.com - Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Essential Properties Realty Trust (NYSE:EPRT) to $36.00 from $35.00 on Friday, maintaining an Overweight rating on the stock. According to InvestingPro, the company maintains a "GREAT" overall financial health score, with analyst targets ranging from $32 to $40.
The firm’s decision follows Essential Properties’ third-quarter 2025 earnings report, which prompted the company to raise the lower end of its 2025 AFFO guidance by one cent to a new range of $1.87-$1.89.
Essential Properties increased its annual investment volume projection by $200 million to $1.3 billion at the mid-point, while maintaining elevated acquisition cap rates at 8%. The company achieved a record 10.0% acquisition GAAP cap rate for the quarter, with average lease escalations increasing to 2.3%.
The real estate investment trust also introduced its 2026 guidance, projecting AFFO between $1.98-$2.04, representing growth of 6%-8%, and an annual investment volume of $1.2 billion at the mid-point.
Cantor Fitzgerald noted that while the 2026 AFFO guidance came in slightly below Street estimates of $2.04, this likely reflects management conservatism, with the firm expecting Essential Properties to deliver beat-and-raise quarters in 2026, similar to its performance in 2025.
In other recent news, Essential Properties Realty Trust Inc. announced its third-quarter 2025 earnings, surpassing Wall Street expectations. The company reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.33, which was higher than the forecasted $0.31. Additionally, Essential Properties Realty Trust exceeded revenue forecasts, reporting $144.93 million compared to the anticipated $135.44 million. These results highlight the company’s strong financial performance in the recent quarter. The earnings announcement was followed by a slight increase in the stock price during regular trading hours. The company’s recent performance has been noted by analysts, although specific upgrades or downgrades were not mentioned in the latest reports. These developments are part of the company’s ongoing efforts to maintain its financial health and stability.
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