Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW) Receives Average Recommendation of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW) have earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the five research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $6.1667.

MPW has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Medical Properties Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance

Medical Properties Trust has a 12 month low of $3.95 and a 12 month high of $6.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 2.68 and a quick ratio of 2.68. The stock has a market cap of $3.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.27 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a fifty day moving average of $5.13 and a 200-day moving average of $4.97.

Medical Properties Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 11th were paid a $0.09 dividend. This is an increase from Medical Properties Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 11th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.1%. Medical Properties Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -30.51%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Medical Properties Trust by 8.2% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 388,254 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,340,000 after buying an additional 29,515 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in Medical Properties Trust during the first quarter worth about $240,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Medical Properties Trust by 11.2% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 4,086,848 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $24,644,000 after purchasing an additional 410,374 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its holdings in Medical Properties Trust by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 32,690 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $197,000 after purchasing an additional 3,415 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC increased its position in Medical Properties Trust by 58.2% during the 2nd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 90,844 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 33,419 shares during the period. 71.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Medical Properties Trust Company Profile

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.