Medical Properties Trust Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:MPT)

Key Points

• Unusual bearish options activity: Traders bought 29,713 put options on Medical Properties Trust, roughly 106% above its typical volume.
• Shares fell sharply: MPT dropped 5.6% to $2.84 on unusually heavy trading volume, near its 52-week low of $2.77.
• Analysts remain negative: The stock carries a consensus “Sell” rating, with a $4.15 average price target; despite a 12.7% dividend yield, its payout ratio is deeply negative.

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPT - Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock traders acquired 29,713 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 106% compared to the typical volume of 14,457 put options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. NFSG Corp bought a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Medical Properties Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,150,000. Mainsail Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Medical Properties Trust in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 71.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Down 5.6%

Shares of MPT traded down $0.17 on Monday, hitting $2.84. The company's stock had a trading volume of 23,907,142 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,380,532. Medical Properties Trust has a fifty-two week low of $2.77 and a fifty-two week high of $6.47. The company has a quick ratio of 3.12, a current ratio of 3.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $3.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $4.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -47.33 and a beta of 1.45.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.15. The business had revenue of $259.28 million for the quarter. Medical Properties Trust had a negative net margin of 2.96% and a negative return on equity of 0.66%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Medical Properties Trust will post 0.53 EPS for the current year.

Medical Properties Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 10th were given a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 10th. Medical Properties Trust's payout ratio is -600.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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 report on Tuesday, September 1st. Weiss Ratings downgraded Medical Properties Trust from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Sell" and a consensus target price of $4.15.

About Medical Properties Trust

Medical Properties Trust, Inc NYSE: MPT is a real estate investment trust focused on owning and investing in healthcare facilities. The company primarily acquires and leases hospitals and other healthcare properties to healthcare operators under long-term agreements, providing real estate capital that can support facility expansion, modernization and operations.

Its portfolio has historically included general acute-care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, behavioral health facilities and other specialized healthcare properties.

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