Franklin BSP Realty Trust Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:FBRT)

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) was the target of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Investors bought 15,001 call options on the company. This is an increase of 65,122% compared to the typical daily volume of 23 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on FBRT. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research raised shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, JonesTrading dropped their target price on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $13.50.

Institutional Trading of Franklin BSP Realty Trust

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the fourth quarter valued at $44,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 49,907 shares of the company’s stock valued at $501,000 after acquiring an additional 3,593 shares during the period. Mariner LLC lifted its stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 502,832 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,212,000 after acquiring an additional 1,957 shares during the period. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $117,000. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 135,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,355,000 after acquiring an additional 12,504 shares during the period. 59.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Stock Down 0.2%

Franklin BSP Realty Trust stock traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $8.84. 983,136 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 862,182. Franklin BSP Realty Trust has a one year low of $8.42 and a one year high of $13.58. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $10.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.59. The company has a current ratio of 70.78, a quick ratio of 67.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33. The company has a market cap of $721.02 million, a PE ratio of 13.77 and a beta of 0.98.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.1%. Franklin BSP Realty Trust’s payout ratio is presently 221.88%.

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.