Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT)

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) saw unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock investors purchased 15,001 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 65,122% compared to the typical daily volume of 23 call options.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Price Performance

FBRT stock traded down $0.02 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $8.84. The company had a trading volume of 983,136 shares, compared to its average volume of 862,182. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $10.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.59. Franklin BSP Realty Trust has a 12-month low of $8.42 and a 12-month high of $13.58. The company has a market capitalization of $721.02 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.77 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 67.81, a current ratio of 70.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.1%. Franklin BSP Realty Trust’s payout ratio is 221.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on FBRT. Zacks Research upgraded Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, JonesTrading cut their price target on Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $13.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franklin BSP Realty Trust

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 49,907 shares of the company’s stock worth $501,000 after purchasing an additional 3,593 shares during the last quarter. Mariner LLC boosted its position in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 502,832 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,212,000 after buying an additional 1,957 shares during the period. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $117,000. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 135,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,355,000 after buying an additional 12,504 shares during the period. 59.87% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.