Buford Ortale Acquires 2,000 Shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) Stock

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) Director Buford Ortale purchased 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $8.88 per share, with a total value of $17,760.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 49,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $442,676.88. This trade represents a 4.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Trading Up 2.3%

NYSE:FBRT traded up $0.20 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $8.88. The company had a trading volume of 1,155,973 shares, compared to its average volume of 911,302. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 70.78 and a quick ratio of 67.81. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $10.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.56. The company has a market capitalization of $724.70 million, a PE ratio of 13.88 and a beta of 0.98. Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. has a 52 week low of $8.42 and a 52 week high of $13.58.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.0%. Franklin BSP Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently 221.88%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franklin BSP Realty Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 126.7% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,428 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,357 shares in the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC bought a new position in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in the fourth quarter worth approximately $40,000. Assetmark Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Transce3nd LLC bought a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 59.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. JonesTrading reduced their target price on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $13.50.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Company Profile

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: FBRT) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust sponsored by an affiliate of Franklin Square Capital Partners. The company focuses on acquiring, owning and managing single-tenant net leased commercial properties across the United States. Its portfolio spans retail, office, industrial and other property types, with leases structured to shift most property‐level responsibilities—such as maintenance, property taxes and insurance—to the tenants.

By concentrating on net lease investments, Franklin BSP Realty Trust aims to generate stable and predictable rental income streams.