Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW) Trading 7.9% Higher After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW)’s share price shot up 7.9% during trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $5.17 and last traded at $5.15. 5,685,342 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 52% from the average session volume of 11,812,394 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.77.

The real estate investment trust reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.02.

Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 10th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.27%. Medical Properties Trust’s payout ratio is currently -7.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on MPW. Mizuho lowered their price target on Medical Properties Trust from $6.00 to $5.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $6.00 to $4.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $4.92.

Insider Buying and Selling at Medical Properties Trust

In other Medical Properties Trust news, CAO James Kevin Hanna sold 11,641 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.72, for a total transaction of $43,304.52. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 366,913 shares in the company, valued at $1,364,916.36. The trade was a 3.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Medical Properties Trust

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Indie Asset Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Medical Properties Trust by 16.7% in the fourth quarter. Indie Asset Partners LLC now owns 15,384 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 2,204 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 39,252 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $155,000 after buying an additional 2,438 shares in the last quarter. KG&L Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. KG&L Capital Management LLC now owns 50,875 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $298,000 after acquiring an additional 2,550 shares during the last quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV increased its position in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 49,953 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $186,000 after purchasing an additional 2,661 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. lifted its position in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 111,490 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $440,000 after purchasing an additional 2,948 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.79% of the company’s stock.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Up 7.0 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $3.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.32. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $4.37 and a 200 day moving average of $4.64. The company has a quick ratio of 2.38, a current ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69.

About Medical Properties Trust

Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust formed in 2003 to acquire and develop net-leased hospital facilities. From its inception in Birmingham, Alabama, the Company has grown to become one of the world's largest owners of hospital real estate with 441 facilities and approximately 44,000 licensed beds as of September 30, 2023.