Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) Short Interest Up 26.4% in March

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 6,171,827 shares, a growth of 26.4% from the February 26th total of 4,883,041 shares. Approximately 7.7% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,269,485 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.9 days.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Stock Performance

Shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust stock traded down $0.02 on Wednesday, hitting $8.47. The stock had a trading volume of 17,633 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,084,603. The stock has a market cap of $685.73 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.20 and a beta of 0.99. 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 has a twelve month low of $8.24 and a twelve month high of $12.72. The business’s 50 day moving average is $9.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.10.

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 issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Franklin BSP Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently 221.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FBRT has been the subject of several research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Zacks Research raised shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. JonesTrading dropped 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 report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Two research 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 currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $13.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Franklin BSP Realty Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 16.6% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 9,574 shares of the company’s stock worth $96,000 after acquiring an additional 1,366 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada grew 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 in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its position in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 29,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $319,000 after purchasing an additional 1,391 shares in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 4.8% during the second quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 32,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $345,000 after purchasing an additional 1,476 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 39.5% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,710 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 1,617 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.