Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT) Stock Sees Unusually High Put Option Buying

Key Points

• Investors bought 64,957 put options on Medical Properties Trust, about 232% above its typical daily volume.
• MPT shares fell 8.8% to $1.87, close to their 12-month low of $1.85; quarterly EPS of $0.11 also missed the $0.13 consensus estimate.
• Analyst sentiment is bearish: MarketBeat reports a “Strong Sell” consensus and an average price target of $2.68, with several firms recently lowering ratings or targets.

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPT - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors bought 64,957 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 232% compared to the typical daily volume of 19,568 put options.

Medical Properties Trust Trading Down 8.8%

Shares of NYSE MPT traded down $0.18 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $1.87. The company's stock had a trading volume of 12,887,213 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,282,921. The company has a current ratio of 3.92, a quick ratio of 3.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. The firm has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 1.50. The business's 50 day moving average is $3.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.31. Medical Properties Trust has a 12-month low of $1.85 and a 12-month high of $6.47.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.11 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.13 by ($0.02). Medical Properties Trust had a return on equity of 5.45% and a net margin of 24.14%. The business had revenue of $250.14 million during the quarter. Medical Properties Trust's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Medical Properties Trust will post 0.53 EPS for the current year.

Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 10th were paid a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 19.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 10th. Medical Properties Trust's dividend payout ratio is presently 87.80%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on MPT. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $5.00 to $3.80 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada cut Medical Properties Trust from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $4.50 to $2.00 in a research report on Friday, October 30th. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of Medical Properties Trust from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $2.25 price objective for the company. in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Medical Properties Trust from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Medical Properties Trust has an average rating of "Strong Sell" and an average price target of $2.68.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MPT. Continuum Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Nykredit A S bought a new position in Medical Properties Trust during the second quarter worth $41,000. NFSG Corp acquired a new position in Medical Properties Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. 71.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Medical Properties Trust Company Profile

Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a healthcare-focused real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and invests in healthcare facilities. Its portfolio has historically included hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, long-term acute-care hospitals, behavioral health facilities and other properties used by healthcare providers.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, the company primarily generates income by leasing properties to healthcare operators under long-term agreements.

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