Brokerages Set Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW) Price Target at $6.17

Shares of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW) have received an average rating of “Reduce” from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $6.1667.

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Medical Properties Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MPW opened at $5.09 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 2.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The company has a market capitalization of $3.06 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.31 and a beta of 1.44. Medical Properties Trust has a 12 month low of $3.51 and a 12 month high of $6.34. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $5.19 and a 200-day moving average of $4.77.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.16 by ($0.03). Medical Properties Trust had a negative net margin of 75.76% and a negative return on equity of 14.82%. The business had revenue of $237.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $244.89 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.16 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Medical Properties Trust will post 0.78 EPS for the current year.

Medical Properties Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 11th. This is a positive change from Medical Properties Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. Medical Properties Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -30.51%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in Medical Properties Trust in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 346.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 7,274 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 5,645 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. Rothschild Investment LLC bought a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust in the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Institutional investors own 71.79% of the company’s stock.

About Medical Properties Trust

Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on acquiring, financing, and owning net-leased hospital facilities. Through sale-leaseback transactions, direct acquisitions and recapitalizations, the company provides capital to healthcare operators while maintaining long-term, triple-net lease agreements. Its portfolio encompasses general acute care hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and other healthcare-related real estate assets and is structured to deliver stable, long-duration rental income streams.

Founded in 2003 and based in Birmingham, Alabama, Medical Properties Trust completed its initial public offering in 2004.