Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW) Lowered to Sell Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report issued on Saturday morning.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on MPW. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $6.17.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Up 0.7%

MPW stock opened at $5.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 2.68 and a quick ratio of 2.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.06 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.31 and a beta of 1.44. Medical Properties Trust has a fifty-two week low of $3.51 and a fifty-two week high of $6.34. The business has a 50-day moving average of $5.19 and a 200-day moving average of $4.77.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.16 by ($0.03). Medical Properties Trust had a negative net margin of 75.76% and a negative return on equity of 14.82%. The firm had revenue of $237.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $244.89 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.16 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Medical Properties Trust will post 0.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Medical Properties Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 11th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.1%. This is a boost from Medical Properties Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. Medical Properties Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -30.51%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Eastern Bank acquired a new position in Medical Properties Trust during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 346.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 7,274 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 5,645 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Rothschild Investment LLC bought a new stake in Medical Properties Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in Medical Properties Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at $44,000. Institutional investors own 71.79% of the company’s stock.

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.