Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT) Sets New 12-Month Low - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Medical Properties Trust shares fell to a new 52-week low of $3.35, below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages, amid continued weakness in the stock.
• Analysts remain bearish: Wells Fargo and Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price targets, while the consensus rating is “Sell” with an average target of $4.15.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.15 in line with estimates and 7.9% year-over-year revenue growth, while maintaining a $0.09 quarterly dividend—an annualized yield of approximately 10.7%.

Shares of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPT - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low on Thursday. The stock traded as low as $3.35 and last traded at $3.37, with a volume of 1787901 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.46.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MPT shares. Weiss Ratings cut Medical Properties Trust from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $5.00 to $4.50 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Sell" and a consensus target price of $4.15.

Medical Properties Trust Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $4.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $4.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 3.12 and a current ratio of 3.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a P/E ratio of -56.17 and a beta of 1.40.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.15. Medical Properties Trust had a negative return on equity of 0.66% and a negative net margin of 2.96%.The firm had revenue of $259.28 million during the quarter. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Medical Properties Trust, Inc. will post 0.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Medical Properties Trust Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 10th will be paid a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 10th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.7%. Medical Properties Trust's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -600.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MPT. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Medical Properties Trust during the second quarter valued at about $1,596,000. State Street Corp acquired a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 2nd quarter worth about $118,522,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 2nd quarter worth about $580,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Medical Properties Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $618,000. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Medical Properties Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.79% of the company's stock.

About Medical Properties Trust

Medical Properties Trust, Inc NYSE: MPT is a real estate investment trust focused on healthcare facilities. The company acquires, develops, owns and leases properties used by healthcare providers, with an emphasis on hospitals and other facilities that deliver essential medical services.

Medical Properties Trust has historically invested primarily in acute-care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and other specialized healthcare properties. Its real estate is generally leased to hospital and healthcare operators under long-term arrangements, while its investments have also included mortgage loans and other healthcare-related financing.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Medical Properties Trust has built a portfolio spanning the United States and selected international markets, including the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.

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