Short Interest in Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) Grows By 20.6%

Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 5,215,336 shares, a growth of 20.6% from the January 15th total of 4,324,820 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,174,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.4 days. Currently, 3.1% of the company’s shares are short sold. Currently, 3.1% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 2,174,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.4 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on SVC shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Service Properties Trust from $2.50 to $2.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Service Properties Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Service Properties Trust from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $2.50.

Service Properties Trust Trading Down 1.6%

SVC stock traded down $0.04 on Wednesday, reaching $2.18. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 304,781 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,712,176. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.68, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market cap of $365.59 million, a PE ratio of -1.30 and a beta of 1.46. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $2.23. Service Properties Trust has a 12-month low of $1.55 and a 12-month high of $3.08.

Service Properties Trust Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 26th will be given a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 26th. Service Properties Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -2.40%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Service Properties Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Service Properties Trust by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,693,982 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $15,997,000 after buying an additional 136,283 shares during the last quarter. Capital Management Corp VA increased its holdings in shares of Service Properties Trust by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital Management Corp VA now owns 7,089,800 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $13,045,000 after purchasing an additional 125,395 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Service Properties Trust by 8.9% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 6,810,031 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $12,530,000 after purchasing an additional 553,942 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna Advisors Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Service Properties Trust by 17.4% during the fourth quarter. Susquehanna Advisors Group Inc. now owns 6,014,299 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $11,066,000 after purchasing an additional 892,880 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Service Properties Trust by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,221,659 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $7,769,000 after buying an additional 26,994 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 77.62% of the company’s stock.

About Service Properties Trust

Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ: SVC) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in the acquisition, ownership and leasing of service-oriented properties, with a primary focus on the lodging sector. The company structures long-term, triple-net leases with established hotel operators under franchise agreements with leading global brands. By partnering with recognized hotel companies, Service Properties Trust seeks to generate a stable income stream through rent payments, while offering operators the capital and balance-sheet flexibility to grow their portfolios.

Since its formation in 2010, Service Properties Trust has grown its portfolio through strategic sale-leaseback transactions, targeted property acquisitions and selective dispositions.