Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE:BRX) Short Interest Up 29.3% in October

Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE:BRX) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,580,000 shares, an increase of 29.3% from the September 30th total of 7,410,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,140,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.5 days.

Brixmor Property Group Stock Performance

NYSE:BRX opened at $27.52 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $8.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.59, a PEG ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 1.57. Brixmor Property Group has a fifty-two week low of $19.88 and a fifty-two week high of $28.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a current ratio of 1.50. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $27.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $24.64.

Brixmor Property Group (NYSE:BRX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.21). The firm had revenue of $320.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $320.22 million. Brixmor Property Group had a return on equity of 10.34% and a net margin of 23.45%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.50 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Brixmor Property Group will post 2.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Sheryl Maxwell Crosland sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.45, for a total value of $127,250.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 46,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,178,105.95. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.76% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in Brixmor Property Group by 328.6% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 943 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 723 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Brixmor Property Group by 258.9% during the 2nd 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. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Brixmor Property Group in the third quarter valued at about $46,000. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Brixmor Property Group in the first quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Brixmor Property Group by 50.7% in the first 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 last quarter. 98.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on BRX. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Brixmor Property Group from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Brixmor Property Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Brixmor Property Group from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 19th. Compass Point boosted their price objective on Brixmor Property Group from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Brixmor Property Group from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $28.54.

About Brixmor Property Group

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.