GraniteShares Advisors LLC Invests $2.62 Million in Starwood Property Trust, Inc. $STWD

Key Points

• GraniteShares Advisors LLC opened a new position in Starwood Property Trust (NYSE:STWD), acquiring 145,320 shares worth about $2.62 million in the fourth quarter.
• Starwood announced a $400 million share repurchase program (up to 6.1% of shares) and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.48 (annualized $1.92), implying a 10.5% yield though the payout ratio is elevated at ~165.5%.
• Analysts carry a consensus "Hold" rating with an average target of $19.80; the company modestly beat recent quarterly EPS estimates ($0.42 vs. $0.41) and has a market cap near $6.8 billion.

GraniteShares Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:STWD - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 145,320 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $2,617,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Starwood Property Trust by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 32,976,364 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $638,752,000 after buying an additional 2,193,085 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in shares of Starwood Property Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at $20,457,000. HRT Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of Starwood Property Trust by 315.4% in the 2nd quarter. HRT Financial LP now owns 713,415 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $14,318,000 after buying an additional 541,672 shares during the period. Zacks Investment Management acquired a new position in shares of Starwood Property Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at $8,490,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Starwood Property Trust by 1,650.2% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 372,837 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $6,715,000 after buying an additional 351,534 shares during the period. 49.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Jeffrey G. Dishner sold 7,013 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.13, for a total value of $120,132.69. Following the sale, the director owned 168,152 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,880,443.76. This represents a 4.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 5.80% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on STWD. Zacks Research raised shares of Starwood Property Trust from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Starwood Property Trust from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Starwood Property Trust from $20.00 to $19.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of Starwood Property Trust from $20.50 to $20.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Bank of America reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $19.00 price objective on shares of Starwood Property Trust in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Starwood Property Trust has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $19.80.

Starwood Property Trust Price Performance

NYSE STWD opened at $18.24 on Tuesday. Starwood Property Trust, Inc. has a 12-month low of $16.90 and a 12-month high of $21.05. The company has a market capitalization of $6.76 billion, a PE ratio of 15.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. The firm's 50 day moving average is $17.75 and its 200-day moving average is $18.12.

Starwood Property Trust (NYSE:STWD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $492.95 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $469.53 million. Starwood Property Trust had a return on equity of 8.16% and a net margin of 22.32%.The business's revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.48 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Starwood Property Trust, Inc. will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starwood Property Trust announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $400.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the real estate investment trust to buy up to 6.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Starwood Property Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were paid a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. Starwood Property Trust's dividend payout ratio is 165.52%.

Starwood Property Trust Company Profile

Starwood Property Trust NYSE: STWD is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that specializes in originating, acquiring and managing commercial mortgage loans and other real estate-related investments. The company's portfolio spans a variety of asset classes, including senior mortgages, mezzanine debt, preferred equity and direct equity investments in commercial properties. By focusing on both debt and equity capital solutions, Starwood Property Trust seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders through a combination of current income and capital appreciation.

Operating primarily in the United States, Starwood Property Trust deploys capital across a broad range of property types, such as multifamily residential, office, retail, hotel and industrial.

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