Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) Director Acquires $291,530.45 in Stock

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) Director Buford Ortale acquired 29,597 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $9.85 per share, with a total value of $291,530.45. Following the acquisition, the director owned 28,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $284,665. This represents a -4,246.34% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Stock Performance

NYSE:FBRT opened at $8.43 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $648.46 million, a P/E ratio of 16.52 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 90.06, a quick ratio of 90.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.74. Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. has a 1 year low of $8.12 and a 1 year high of $11.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $8.75 and a 200-day moving average of $9.37.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.22 by ($0.13). Franklin BSP Realty Trust had a return on equity of 6.46% and a net margin of 24.26%.The business had revenue of $74.38 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $73.09 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. will post 0.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. Franklin BSP Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently 156.86%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on FBRT. Wall Street Zen raised Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Citizens Jmp reduced their target price on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Franklin BSP Realty Trust has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $11.50.

Institutional Trading of Franklin BSP Realty Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Eagle Point Credit Management LLC acquired a new position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $8,381,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 72.2% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,829,401 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,349,000 after purchasing an additional 766,875 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,237,000. UBS Group AG grew its position in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 24.0% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 873,047 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,481,000 after buying an additional 168,993 shares during the period. Finally, Independent Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the first quarter worth approximately $1,117,000. 59.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Franklin BSP Realty Trust

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.