Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) Stock Position Increased by Strong Tower Advisory Services

Strong Tower Advisory Services increased its stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT - Free Report) by 9.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,157,111 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 101,951 shares during the quarter. Franklin BSP Realty Trust accounts for 3.8% of Strong Tower Advisory Services' portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. Strong Tower Advisory Services owned about 1.41% of Franklin BSP Realty Trust worth $14,510,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in FBRT. FMR LLC increased its position in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 42.9% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,623 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 787 shares during the last quarter. Fairscale Capital LLC bought a new stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 51.6% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 4,664 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 1,588 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust in the third quarter worth approximately $168,000. Finally, Hodges Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter worth $189,000. Institutional investors own 59.87% of the company's stock.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Price Performance

Franklin BSP Realty Trust stock traded up $0.11 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $12.65. The stock had a trading volume of 419,196 shares, compared to its average volume of 427,209. The company has a current ratio of 90.45, a quick ratio of 90.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.67. The firm's 50 day moving average is $12.77 and its 200 day moving average is $12.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.43 and a beta of 1.39. Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. has a one year low of $11.96 and a one year high of $14.11.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.355 per share. This represents a $1.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.22%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. Franklin BSP Realty Trust's dividend payout ratio is currently 173.17%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on FBRT. B. Riley upgraded Franklin BSP Realty Trust to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Janney Montgomery Scott began coverage on Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $15.50.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Profile

Benefit Street Partners operates as a self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). BSP earns income from investing in a leveraged portfolio of residential mortgage pass-through securities consisting almost exclusively of adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) securities issued and guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises, either Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (together, the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs)), or by an agency of the federal government, Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae).