Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) Raised to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $14.00.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Trading Up 1.7%

NYSE FBRT opened at $8.86 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $10.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.59. Franklin BSP Realty Trust has a one year low of $8.42 and a one year high of $13.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33, a quick ratio of 67.81 and a current ratio of 70.78. The firm has a market cap of $722.66 million, a PE ratio of 13.84 and a beta of 0.98.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Franklin BSP Realty Trust

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,001,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,394,000 after purchasing an additional 12,252 shares during the period. Strong Tower Advisory Services boosted its holdings in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 2.4% during the third quarter. Strong Tower Advisory Services now owns 1,442,728 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,668,000 after buying an additional 34,102 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,256,179 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,599,000 after buying an additional 59,424 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 7.3% during the third quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,042,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,318,000 after buying an additional 70,645 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its holdings in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 24.0% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 873,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,481,000 after buying an additional 168,993 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.87% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Franklin BSP Realty Trust

Here are the key news stories impacting Franklin BSP Realty Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst note calls FBRT a dip-buying opportunity after the market selloff, highlighting portfolio growth via new loans and an acquisition, strong profit margins and a lower debt/equity profile versus peers — a view that can attract yield-focused and value buyers. Franklin BSP Realty Trust: A Dip Buying Opportunity As Portfolio Grows
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 (annualized yield ~9.2%) with a March 31 record date — the high yield is likely drawing income-seeking investors and supporting the share uptick.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management outlined a $4.8B–$5B “core book” asset target and said it will reset the dividend as part of a shift toward more stable, predictable earnings — a strategic pivot that could reduce volatility but may lower near-term payout expectations. FBRT outlines $4.8B–$5B core book target and dividend reset as company shifts toward stable earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership changes were announced at the CEO and senior level — increases governance/transition risk in the near term but could be positive if new leadership executes the stated strategy. Franklin BSP Realty Trust Announces CEO and Leadership Changes
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed expectations: EPS came in below consensus, GAAP net income fell year-over-year and the company missed revenue/earnings estimates — these operational misses pressured sentiment. Franklin BSP (FBRT) Misses Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: coverage and commentaries explain a large recent share decline tied to the dividend reset and earnings misses — that volatility makes near-term price moves sensitive to further execution updates and payout guidance. Why Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc.’s (FBRT) Stock Is Down 14.83%

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.