Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:STRW) Short Interest Up 19.1% in March

Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:STRW) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 69,769 shares, an increase of 19.1% from the February 26th total of 58,561 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 22,742 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.1 days. Approximately 0.6% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Strawberry Fields REIT

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Barclays PLC grew its position in shares of Strawberry Fields REIT by 14.3% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,936 shares of the company’s stock worth $156,000 after buying an additional 1,489 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Strawberry Fields REIT by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 169,865 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,225,000 after acquiring an additional 4,380 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in shares of Strawberry Fields REIT by 67.5% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 9,392 shares of the company’s stock worth $123,000 after purchasing an additional 3,784 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in Strawberry Fields REIT by 27.4% in the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 13,124 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,000 after buying an additional 2,819 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Strawberry Fields REIT by 32.4% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 30,382 shares of the company’s stock valued at $398,000 after purchasing an additional 7,434 shares during the last quarter.

Strawberry Fields REIT Stock Performance

Strawberry Fields REIT stock traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $12.00. 1,820 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 29,693. Strawberry Fields REIT has a one year low of $8.70 and a one year high of $14.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $12.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $12.53. The stock has a market cap of $160.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.67 and a beta of 0.38.

Strawberry Fields REIT (NYSEAMERICAN:STRW) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.17). Strawberry Fields REIT had a return on equity of 11.35% and a net margin of 4.89%.The firm had revenue of $40.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $40.30 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Strawberry Fields REIT will post 1.12 EPS for the current year.

Strawberry Fields REIT Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were paid a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.3%. Strawberry Fields REIT’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 125.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on STRW. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $15.00 price target on shares of Strawberry Fields REIT in a report on Monday, January 5th. Lake Street Capital restated a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 target price on shares of Strawberry Fields REIT in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Alliance Global Partners reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Strawberry Fields REIT in a report on Friday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $13.66.

Strawberry Fields REIT Company Profile

Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc, is a self-administered real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership, acquisition, development and leasing of skilled nursing and certain other healthcare-related properties. The Company's portfolio includes 109 healthcare facilities with an aggregate of 12,449 bed, located throughout the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The 109 healthcare facilities comprise 99 skilled nursing facilities, eight assisted living facilities, and two long-term acute care hospitals.