Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Franklin BSP Realty Trust has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" from five covering analysts, with an average 12-month price target of $11.50. The rating mix includes two sells and three buys.
• The company recently cut its dividend to $0.20 per share quarterly, equal to an annualized yield of 8.8%, but its payout ratio is high at 156.86%.
• FBRT’s latest earnings missed expectations, reporting $0.09 EPS versus the $0.22 consensus, even though revenue came in slightly above forecasts at $74.38 million.

Shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the five analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $11.50.

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on FBRT. Wall Street Zen upgraded Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. JonesTrading dropped their price target on Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings lowered Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Citizens Jmp dropped their price target on Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Citigroup restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research note on Thursday, April 16th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Franklin BSP Realty Trust

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FBRT. Assetmark Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the third quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 96.3% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 5,471 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 2,684 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.87% of the company's stock.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Price Performance

FBRT opened at $9.09 on Monday. The business's 50-day moving average is $8.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.73. Franklin BSP Realty Trust has a 1 year low of $8.24 and a 1 year high of $11.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.74, a current ratio of 90.06 and a quick ratio of 90.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $699.18 million, a PE ratio of 17.81 and a beta of 0.94.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.22 by ($0.13). Franklin BSP Realty Trust had a net margin of 24.26% and a return on equity of 6.46%. The company had revenue of $74.38 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $73.09 million. Research analysts anticipate that Franklin BSP Realty Trust will post 0.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.8%. Franklin BSP Realty Trust's payout ratio is 156.86%.

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.

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