Medical Properties Trust Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:MPT)

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPT) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors bought 25,297 put options on the company. This is an increase of 109% compared to the average volume of 12,130 put options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Medical Properties Trust from $5.00 to $4.50 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Medical Properties Trust from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Medical Properties Trust has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $4.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MPT. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $347,673,000. Advisors Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Medical Properties Trust during the second quarter valued at about $30,483,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Medical Properties Trust in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,285,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the second quarter worth $25,302,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 301,176.3% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,539,997 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,355,000 after purchasing an additional 3,538,822 shares during the last quarter. 71.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance

NYSE:MPT traded down $0.02 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $4.09. 3,757,130 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,354,914. The company has a quick ratio of 3.12, a current ratio of 3.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The business has a fifty day moving average of $4.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.44 billion, a PE ratio of -68.17 and a beta of 1.41. Medical Properties Trust has a 12 month low of $3.96 and a 12 month high of $6.47.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15. Medical Properties Trust had a negative return on equity of 0.66% and a negative net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $259.28 million for the quarter. The business’s revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Medical Properties Trust will post 0.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 10th will be given a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 10th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.8%. Medical Properties Trust’s payout ratio is -600.00%.

About Medical Properties Trust

Medical Properties Trust, Inc (NYSE: MPT) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, owns and finances hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Founded in 2003 by Edward K. Aldag Jr., the company’s business model centers on providing real estate capital to healthcare operators through long-term leases, sale-leaseback transactions, build-to-suit developments and mortgage financing. By specializing in healthcare real estate, MPT aims to deliver steady rental income and asset-based returns while enabling operators to access capital for clinical operations and growth.

The company’s portfolio primarily comprises acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care facilities, behavioral health centers and other specialty hospitals.