ProShare Advisors LLC Grows Stake in Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BXMT)

ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BXMT - Free Report) by 44.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 52,316 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after purchasing an additional 16,091 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC's holdings in Blackstone Mortgage Trust were worth $911,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Blackstone Mortgage Trust during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,952,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its position in Blackstone Mortgage Trust by 17.5% during the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 57,051 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $993,000 after acquiring an additional 8,500 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Blackstone Mortgage Trust during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,662,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Blackstone Mortgage Trust during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,326,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Blackstone Mortgage Trust by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 838,973 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $14,607,000 after acquiring an additional 20,487 shares in the last quarter. 64.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Blackstone Mortgage Trust news, CEO Katharine A. Keenan sold 2,315 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.70, for a total transaction of $47,920.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 246,172 shares in the company, valued at $5,095,760.40. This represents a 0.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Henry N. Nassau acquired 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 6th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $18.90 per share, for a total transaction of $189,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 182,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,457,679.40. The trade was a 5.78% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 5,652 shares of company stock worth $116,971 in the last quarter. 1.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on BXMT shares. JMP Securities restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $19.50 price objective (up previously from $19.00) on shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Blackstone Mortgage Trust from $20.00 to $18.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on Blackstone Mortgage Trust from $20.50 to $20.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Blackstone Mortgage Trust currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $20.50.

Blackstone Mortgage Trust Price Performance

Shares of BXMT stock traded down $0.08 on Wednesday, hitting $18.91. The stock had a trading volume of 734,402 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,637,681. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.24 billion, a P/E ratio of -16.18 and a beta of 1.12. Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. has a 1 year low of $16.51 and a 1 year high of $21.24. The company's 50 day moving average price is $18.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $18.93.

Blackstone Mortgage Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.94%. Blackstone Mortgage Trust's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -408.70%.

Blackstone Mortgage Trust Profile

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc, a real estate finance company, originates senior loans collateralized by commercial properties in North America, Europe, and Australia. The company originates and acquires senior floating rate mortgage loans that are secured by a first-priority mortgage on commercial real estate assets.