Piper Sandler upgrades EastGroup Properties to 'overweight'

Shares of real estate investment trust EastGroup Properties EGP.N rise 1.13% to $186.35 in early trading

Piper Sandler upgrades EGP to "overweight" from "neutral", citing improving tenant demand and a rebound in leasing activity

Brokerage also raised PT to $220 from $185 which is a 19.3% upside to its last close

Leasing jumped in 4Q25 with 454k square feet signed as tenants started committing to new and expansion leases after tariff worries eased, brokerage says

Piper says EGP's tenants are driven by local economies, not foreign trade, which suggests this year's pause was more about general nervousness versus actual slowdowns

14 of 21 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher and 7 "hold"; their median PT is $200 - LSEG

As of last close, EGP up 14.8% YTD