Zacks Research Downgrades Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) to Strong Sell

Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on FBRT. Wall Street Zen upgraded Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. JonesTrading cut their price objective on Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Citizens Jmp decreased their price objective on Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $11.50.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:FBRT opened at $9.04 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $8.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $9.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.74, a quick ratio of 90.06 and a current ratio of 90.06. The company has a market capitalization of $695.33 million, a PE ratio of 17.72 and a beta of 0.94. Franklin BSP Realty Trust has a 52 week low of $8.24 and a 52 week high of $11.84.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $74.38 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $73.09 million. Analysts forecast that Franklin BSP Realty Trust will post 0.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 3.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 39,303 shares of the company’s stock worth $502,000 after buying an additional 1,378 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $89,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 153,474 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,955,000 after acquiring an additional 4,391 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $363,000. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 92.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 20,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $222,000 after acquiring an additional 9,680 shares in the last quarter. 59.87% of the stock is 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.