Traders Purchase High Volume of Medical Properties Trust Call Options (NYSE:MPW)

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders purchased 38,018 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 47% compared to the typical volume of 25,862 call options.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance

NYSE MPW opened at $5.44 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 2.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. 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 fifty day moving average of $5.21 and a 200-day moving average of $4.81. The stock has a market cap of $3.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.61 and a beta of 1.43.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by ($0.03). Medical Properties Trust had a negative return on equity of 14.82% and a negative net margin of 75.76%.The company had revenue of $237.52 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $244.89 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.16 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Medical Properties Trust will post 0.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Medical Properties Trust Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 11th were issued a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 11th. This is an increase from Medical Properties Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. Medical Properties Trust’s payout ratio is currently -30.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on MPW shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Medical Properties Trust from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Medical Properties Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Medical Properties Trust has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $6.17.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC boosted its holdings in Medical Properties Trust by 15.8% in the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 36,382 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $185,000 after acquiring an additional 4,970 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital raised its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 83.7% in the 4th quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 18,783 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 8,559 shares during the period. Wilsey Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. Wilsey Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,854,997 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $29,275,000 after purchasing an additional 614,418 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 5,195 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keel Point LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 3rd quarter worth about $104,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.