Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) Hits New 12-Month Low – Here’s What Happened

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FBRT) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $8.94 and last traded at $8.64, with a volume of 25446 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $10.15.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on FBRT. Zacks Research lowered Franklin BSP Realty Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $14.00.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Trading Down 14.8%

The company has a current ratio of 67.81, a quick ratio of 67.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.32. The company has a market cap of $705.82 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.76 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $10.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.61.

Franklin BSP Realty Trust Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.2%. Franklin BSP Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is 177.50%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franklin BSP Realty Trust

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FBRT. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,237,000. Gratia Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 42.1% during the second quarter. Gratia Capital LLC now owns 817,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,743,000 after buying an additional 242,395 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 24.0% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 873,047 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,481,000 after buying an additional 168,993 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Franklin BSP Realty Trust by 153.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 202,086 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,160,000 after acquiring an additional 122,339 shares during the period. Finally, Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Franklin BSP Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,304,000. 59.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Franklin BSP Realty Trust

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.