Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) Short Interest Up 40.8% in February

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 4,883,041 shares, an increase of 40.8% from the February 12th total of 3,468,949 shares. Approximately 6.1% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,389,320 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,389,320 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days. Approximately 6.1% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. JonesTrading reduced their price objective on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $13.50.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Stock Performance

FBRT stock traded down $0.11 during trading on Friday, hitting $8.91. 1,106,125 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,307,733. The stock has a market capitalization of $721.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.91 and a beta of 0.99. Franklin BSP Realty Trust has a 52 week low of $8.42 and a 52 week high of $13.33. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $9.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.35. The company has a quick ratio of 70.78, a current ratio of 70.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Franklin BSP Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently 221.88%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franklin BSP Realty Trust

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 39,303 shares of the company’s stock worth $502,000 after purchasing an additional 1,378 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $89,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 153,474 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,955,000 after buying an additional 4,391 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 47.5% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,438 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,000 after buying an additional 2,394 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 0.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,001,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,394,000 after buying an additional 12,252 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 59.87% of the company’s stock.

About Franklin BSP Realty Trust

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: FBRT) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust sponsored by an affiliate of Franklin Square Capital Partners. The company focuses on acquiring, owning and managing single-tenant net leased commercial properties across the United States. Its portfolio spans retail, office, industrial and other property types, with leases structured to shift most property‐level responsibilities—such as maintenance, property taxes and insurance—to the tenants.

By concentrating on net lease investments, Franklin BSP Realty Trust aims to generate stable and predictable rental income streams.