Aurora Investment Managers LLC. Boosts Stake in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB)

Aurora Investment Managers LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) by 6.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 16,668 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 982 shares during the quarter. AvalonBay Communities accounts for about 2.2% of Aurora Investment Managers LLC.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Aurora Investment Managers LLC.’s holdings in AvalonBay Communities were worth $3,666,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in AvalonBay Communities during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities during the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. Mather Group LLC. increased its stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 38.6% in the third quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 201 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in AvalonBay Communities in the third quarter valued at $51,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in AvalonBay Communities by 59.9% during 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 acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.61% of the company’s stock.

AvalonBay Communities Stock Up 0.1 %

AVB opened at $218.21 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $224.47 and its 200 day moving average price is $220.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market cap of $31.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.99. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a 12 month low of $169.37 and a 12 month high of $239.29.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.61 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $734.31 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $731.67 million. AvalonBay Communities had a net margin of 36.20% and a return on equity of 8.84%. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.66 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 11.04 earnings per share for the current year.

AvalonBay Communities Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. AvalonBay Communities’s dividend payout ratio is currently 93.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho raised shares of AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $239.00 to $242.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on AvalonBay Communities from $234.00 to $233.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Scotiabank reduced their target price on 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 AvalonBay Communities from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $247.00 to $262.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, Barclays started coverage on AvalonBay Communities in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $243.00 price objective on the stock. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AvalonBay Communities has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $234.53.

Insider Transactions at AvalonBay Communities

In other news, Director Timothy J. Naughton sold 23,697 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.47, for a total value of $5,532,538.59. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 87,239 shares in the company, valued at $20,367,689.33. This represents a 21.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

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.