Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT) Hits New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPT)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $3.56 and last traded at $3.58, with a volume of 11407524 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.64.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MPT. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Medical Properties Trust from $5.00 to $4.50 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Medical Properties Trust from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $5.00 to $3.80 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Medical Properties Trust presently has a consensus rating of “Sell” and an average price target of $4.15.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Down 4.0%

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $4.30. The company has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -56.67 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 3.12 and a current ratio of 3.12.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.15. The firm had revenue of $259.28 million during the quarter. Medical Properties Trust had a negative net margin of 2.96% and a negative return on equity of 0.66%. The business’s revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Medical Properties Trust, Inc. will post 0.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 10th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.6%. Medical Properties Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently -600.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Medical Properties Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at $347,673,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH acquired a new stake in Medical Properties Trust during the 2nd quarter worth $33,903,000. Advisors Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Medical Properties Trust during the 2nd quarter worth $30,483,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the second quarter worth $28,285,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the second quarter worth $25,302,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.79% of the company’s stock.

About Medical Properties Trust

Medical Properties Trust, Inc (NYSE: MPT) is a real estate investment trust focused on healthcare facilities. The company acquires, develops, owns and leases properties used by healthcare providers, with an emphasis on hospitals and other facilities that deliver essential medical services.

Medical Properties Trust has historically invested primarily in acute-care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and other specialized healthcare properties. Its real estate is generally leased to hospital and healthcare operators under long-term arrangements, while its investments have also included mortgage loans and other healthcare-related financing.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Medical Properties Trust has built a portfolio spanning the United States and selected international markets, including the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.