Starwood Property Trust (NYSE:STWD) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume

Shares of Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:STWD) saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday . 1,117,510 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 49% from the previous session’s volume of 2,170,208 shares.The stock last traded at $19.12 and had previously closed at $19.22.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

STWD has been the subject of several research reports. BTIG Research cut their target price on Starwood Property Trust from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Starwood Property Trust from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Raymond James cut their target price on Starwood Property Trust from $23.50 to $23.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Starwood Property Trust from $21.00 to $20.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $21.50 target price (down previously from $22.50) on shares of Starwood Property Trust in a research note on Monday, March 4th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.88.

Starwood Property Trust Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $6.02 billion, a PE ratio of 13.83 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 2.49. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $19.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.15.

Starwood Property Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 29th were issued a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.08%. Starwood Property Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently 138.13%.

Insider Activity at Starwood Property Trust

In related news, President Jeffrey F. Dimodica sold 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.28, for a total transaction of $2,028,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 1,226,673 shares in the company, valued at $24,876,928.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 5.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starwood Property Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in Starwood Property Trust by 615.8% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 149,339 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $3,139,000 after purchasing an additional 128,477 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky raised its holdings in Starwood Property Trust by 97.5% in the third quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 104,320 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,018,000 after purchasing an additional 51,504 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Starwood Property Trust by 233.4% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 180,403 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $3,792,000 after acquiring an additional 126,298 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Starwood Property Trust by 2,347.1% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 270,406 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $5,684,000 after acquiring an additional 259,356 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Starwood Property Trust during the third quarter valued at $6,772,000. Institutional investors own 49.82% of the company’s stock.

About Starwood Property Trust

Starwood Property Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Commercial and Residential Lending, Infrastructure Lending, Property, and Investing and Servicing segments. The Commercial and Residential Lending segment originates, acquires, finances, and manages commercial first mortgages, non-agency residential mortgages, subordinated mortgages, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), and residential mortgage-backed securities, as well as other real estate and real estate-related debt investments, include distressed or non-performing loans.