Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 3,468,949 shares, an increase of 46.3% from the January 29th total of 2,371,551 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,320,340 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days. Currently, 4.3% of the shares of the company are short sold. Currently, 4.3% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,320,340 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Institutional Trading of Franklin BSP Realty Trust

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,001,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,394,000 after acquiring an additional 12,252 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 72.2% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,829,401 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,349,000 after buying an additional 766,875 shares in the last quarter. Strong Tower Advisory Services boosted its holdings in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Strong Tower Advisory Services now owns 1,442,728 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,668,000 after buying an additional 34,102 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,256,179 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,599,000 after buying an additional 59,424 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 7.3% during the third quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,042,207 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,318,000 after acquiring an additional 70,645 shares during the last quarter. 59.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Franklin BSP Realty Trust News

Here are the key news stories impacting Franklin BSP Realty Trust this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: The market narrative is shifting after recent dividend and analyst target cuts; a Yahoo Finance piece explains how investor expectations and the company’s outlook have changed, which helps explain recent volatility. How The Narrative On Franklin BSP Realty Trust (FBRT) Is Shifting After Dividend And Target Cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple class-action lawsuits have been filed against FBRT alleging securities law violations for the period Nov 5, 2024–Feb 11, 2026; plaintiffs seek damages and some complaints name officers — this raises potential liability and reputational risk. ROSEN law firm class action
• Negative Sentiment: Several plaintiff firms and investigator notices (Glancy Prongay, Faruqi & Faruqi, Robbins LLP, Rosen, Bronstein Gewirtz, Schall, Portnoy, others) are soliciting claimants and encouraging lead-plaintiff motions — this increases litigation momentum and the odds of consolidated, larger suits. Glancy investigation notice
• Negative Sentiment: Deadlines for lead-plaintiff motions (examples: April 27, 2026 and April 21, 2026) are approaching — if a lead plaintiff is appointed and the cases proceed, the company could face significant legal costs, distraction for management, and settlement risk. Faruqi deadline notice

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on FBRT shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. JonesTrading decreased their target price on Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $13.50.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Stock Performance

NYSE:FBRT traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $9.48. The company had a trading volume of 884,005 shares, compared to its average volume of 990,803. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 70.78 and a quick ratio of 70.78. Franklin BSP Realty Trust has a 1-year low of $8.42 and a 1-year high of $13.56. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $9.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.46. The firm has a market cap of $767.56 million, a PE ratio of 14.81 and a beta of 0.98.

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 $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.4%. Franklin BSP Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is 125.00%.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Company Profile

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.