Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR) Short Interest Update

Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 14,280,000 shares, a drop of 5.2% from the November 30th total of 15,060,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,160,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days.

Healthcare Realty Trust Stock Up 1.9 %

NYSE HR traded up $0.32 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $16.95. 2,551,510 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,466,269. Healthcare Realty Trust has a 12-month low of $12.77 and a 12-month high of $18.90. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $17.57 and a 200 day moving average of $17.56. The company has a market cap of $6.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.73 and a beta of 0.93.

Healthcare Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.32%. Healthcare Realty Trust's dividend payout ratio is currently -78.48%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Peter F. Sr Lyle, Sr. acquired 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $17.21 per share, with a total value of $172,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 26,576 shares of the company's stock, valued at $457,372.96. The trade was a 60.33 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas N. Bohjalian bought 7,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $17.39 per share, for a total transaction of $134,772.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 50,002 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $869,534.78. The trade was a 18.34 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have purchased 18,750 shares of company stock worth $323,723 in the last ninety days. 0.56% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HR. Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C acquired a new position in Healthcare Realty Trust during the second quarter worth about $471,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Healthcare Realty Trust by 6.7% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 4,784,186 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $78,843,000 after purchasing an additional 301,747 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC raised its holdings in Healthcare Realty Trust by 106.4% during the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 77,545 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,407,000 after purchasing an additional 39,975 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in Healthcare Realty Trust during the third quarter worth $849,000. Finally, Weiss Asset Management LP purchased a new stake in Healthcare Realty Trust during the third quarter worth $1,471,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on HR. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "underweight" rating and set a $17.00 target price (up previously from $16.00) on shares of Healthcare Realty Trust in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Healthcare Realty Trust from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $19.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, December 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $17.50.

Healthcare Realty Trust Company Profile

Healthcare Realty NYSE: HR is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and operates medical outpatient buildings primarily located around market-leading hospital campuses. The Company selectively grows its portfolio through property acquisition and development. As the first and largest REIT to specialize in medical outpatient buildings, Healthcare Realty's portfolio includes more than 700 properties totaling over 40 million square feet concentrated in 15 growth markets.