Medical Properties Trust Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:MPT)

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPT) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Stock investors acquired 48,831 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 72% compared to the typical daily volume of 28,453 call options.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance

MPT stock traded up $0.08 during trading on Thursday, reaching $5.01. The stock had a trading volume of 14,586,826 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,911,089. Medical Properties Trust has a 1-year low of $3.95 and a 1-year high of $6.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.10, a current ratio of 2.63 and a quick ratio of 2.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.99 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.88 and a beta of 1.39.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.15 by ($0.12). Medical Properties Trust had a negative net margin of 28.50% and a negative return on equity of 5.87%. The business had revenue of $270.34 million for the quarter. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.18 EPS. Medical Properties Trust’s quarterly revenue was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Medical Properties Trust will post 0.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.2%. Medical Properties Trust’s payout ratio is currently -78.26%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on MPT. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Medical Properties Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Maxim Group assumed coverage on Medical Properties Trust in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $8.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Medical Properties Trust from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings started coverage on Medical Properties Trust in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “sell (d-)” rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Medical Properties Trust has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $6.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Medical Properties Trust during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Virtu Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 90.0% during the fourth quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 79,083 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $395,000 after purchasing an additional 37,461 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 339,786 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,699,000 after buying an additional 3,091 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 36.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 131,879 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $660,000 after buying an additional 35,581 shares during the period. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 65.5% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 389,331 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,947,000 after buying an additional 154,020 shares during the period. 71.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.