Independent Financial Group LLC Invests $4.55 Million in Starwood Property Trust, Inc. $STWD

Key Points

• Independent Financial Group LLC initiated a new stake in Starwood Property Trust, buying 264,201 shares valued at about $4.55 million in the first quarter.
• Starwood Property Trust reported mixed quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.39 versus $0.42 expected and revenue of $205.55 million, well below analysts’ $496.25 million estimate.
• The REIT declared a quarterly dividend of $0.48 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 11.3%, while analysts currently have an overall Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $19.70.

Independent Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:STWD - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 264,201 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $4,550,000. Independent Financial Group LLC owned about 0.07% of Starwood Property Trust at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gentry Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Starwood Property Trust by 21.0% in the first quarter. Gentry Private Wealth LLC now owns 16,212 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $279,000 after purchasing an additional 2,813 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its position in Starwood Property Trust by 15.8% during the 1st quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 20,538 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $354,000 after purchasing an additional 2,796 shares during the period. Bleakley Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Starwood Property Trust by 16.2% during the 1st quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 123,748 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,131,000 after buying an additional 17,222 shares during the last quarter. WJ Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Starwood Property Trust by 21.9% in the 1st quarter. WJ Financial Advisors LLC now owns 51,337 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $884,000 after buying an additional 9,212 shares during the period. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Starwood Property Trust by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 83,800 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,443,000 after buying an additional 1,500 shares during the period. 49.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Starwood Property Trust Stock Performance

Shares of STWD stock opened at $16.97 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.98. The business's 50 day moving average is $16.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.31. Starwood Property Trust, Inc. has a 12-month low of $16.29 and a 12-month high of $20.84.

Starwood Property Trust (NYSE:STWD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $205.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $496.25 million. Starwood Property Trust had a net margin of 18.11% and a return on equity of 7.91%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.45 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 22.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Starwood Property Trust, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starwood Property Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 11.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. Starwood Property Trust's payout ratio is presently 200.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on STWD. Weiss Ratings cut Starwood Property Trust from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Starwood Property Trust from $20.00 to $19.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of Starwood Property Trust from $20.00 to $19.50 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Starwood Property Trust from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on shares of Starwood Property Trust in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $20.00 price target on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $19.70.

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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