Brokerages Set Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPT) Target Price at $6.75

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPT) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” from the five brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $6.00.

MPT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on Medical Properties Trust in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “sell (d-)” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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. Wall Street Zen upgraded Medical Properties Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Maxim Group started coverage on Medical Properties Trust in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $8.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Medical Properties Trust from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance

NYSE:MPT opened at $4.93 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.63, a quick ratio of 2.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.71 and a beta of 1.39. Medical Properties Trust has a 12 month low of $3.95 and a 12 month high of $6.47.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 5.87% and a negative net margin of 28.50%.The firm had revenue of $270.34 million for the quarter. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.18 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Medical Properties Trust will post 0.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be paid a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.3%. Medical Properties Trust’s payout ratio is currently -78.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Medical Properties Trust in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Medical Properties Trust by 64.2% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 6,166 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 2,410 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Medical Properties Trust by 499.0% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,236 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 5,195 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Medical Properties Trust in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. 71.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.