Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW) Shares Gap Up - Here's What Happened

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW - Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $4.45, but opened at $4.65. Medical Properties Trust shares last traded at $4.34, with a volume of 4,701,765 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on MPW. Truist Financial reduced their price target on Medical Properties Trust from $6.00 to $4.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $6.00 to $5.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $4.92.

Medical Properties Trust Price Performance

The company's fifty day simple moving average is $4.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 2.38 and a quick ratio of 2.38.

Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 12th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 12th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.83%. Medical Properties Trust's payout ratio is -7.58%.

Insider Transactions at Medical Properties Trust

In related news, CAO James Kevin Hanna sold 11,641 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.72, for a total value of $43,304.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 366,913 shares in the company, valued at $1,364,916.36. This trade represents a 3.08 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.53% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Medical Properties Trust

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MPW. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 230.4% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 6,082 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 4,241 shares in the last quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new stake in Medical Properties Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new position in Medical Properties Trust in the third quarter worth about $31,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 107.3% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,077 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 3,145 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RFG Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 71.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Medical Properties Trust Company Profile

Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust formed in 2003 to acquire and develop net-leased hospital facilities. From its inception in Birmingham, Alabama, the Company has grown to become one of the world's largest owners of hospital real estate with 441 facilities and approximately 44,000 licensed beds as of September 30, 2023.