Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) Shares Climb 8.1% – Should You Buy?

Shares of Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) rose 8.1% on Thursday. The company traded as high as $6.22 and last traded at $6.3250. Approximately 166,607 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 90% from the average session volume of 1,651,888 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.85.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SVC has been the subject of several recent research reports. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on Service Properties Trust in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $11.25 price target for the company. B. Riley Financial raised their price objective on Service Properties Trust from $10.00 to $12.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Weiss Ratings lowered Service Properties Trust from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Zacks Research raised Service Properties Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $9.00 price objective on Service Properties Trust in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $12.05.

Service Properties Trust Trading Up 8.3%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $7.19 and a 200 day moving average of $7.75. The firm has a market cap of $820.44 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.82 and a beta of 1.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 0.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11.

Service Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 19th will be given a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 19th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. Service Properties Trust’s payout ratio is -2.60%.

Institutional Trading of Service Properties Trust

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SVC. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Service Properties Trust during the second quarter worth approximately $3,691,000. Yorkville Advisors Global LP bought a new position in shares of Service Properties Trust in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,333,000. Arizona State Retirement System bought a new position in shares of Service Properties Trust in the second quarter valued at approximately $279,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Service Properties Trust in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $543,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Service Properties Trust in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,153,000. 77.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Service Properties Trust

Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) is a real estate investment trust that owns and invests in hotels and service-oriented commercial properties. The company generally leases its properties to operating companies under long-term agreements, generating rental income from a diversified portfolio.

Service Properties Trust’s hotel portfolio includes properties operated under well-known brands and independent names, while its service-focused properties serve businesses such as travel centers, healthcare providers and other essential-service operators.