Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 5,215,336 shares, a growth of 20.6% from the January 15th total of 4,324,820 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,174,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days. Approximately 3.1% of the company’s shares are short sold. Approximately 3.1% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 2,174,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days.

Institutional Trading of Service Properties Trust

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SVC. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Service Properties Trust by 54.4% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 14,470 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 5,099 shares during the period. Quadrature Capital Ltd grew its stake in shares of Service Properties Trust by 45.3% in the second quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 17,911 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 5,588 shares in the last quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Service Properties Trust by 30.0% during the 2nd quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 27,466 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 6,343 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in Service Properties Trust by 40.2% during the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 29,838 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 8,554 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jain Global LLC lifted its position in Service Properties Trust by 37.8% during the 4th quarter. Jain Global LLC now owns 34,638 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 9,500 shares in the last quarter. 77.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SVC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Service Properties Trust from $2.50 to $2.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Service Properties Trust from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Service Properties Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Service Properties Trust has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $2.50.

Service Properties Trust Stock Performance

NASDAQ SVC opened at $2.17 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.68, a current ratio of 0.17 and a quick ratio of 0.17. Service Properties Trust has a 1-year low of $1.55 and a 1-year high of $3.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $364.76 million, a P/E ratio of -1.30 and a beta of 1.46. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $2.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $2.23.

Service Properties Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 26th will be given a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 26th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Service Properties Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently -2.40%.

About Service Properties Trust

Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ: SVC) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in the acquisition, ownership and leasing of service-oriented properties, with a primary focus on the lodging sector. The company structures long-term, triple-net leases with established hotel operators under franchise agreements with leading global brands. By partnering with recognized hotel companies, Service Properties Trust seeks to generate a stable income stream through rent payments, while offering operators the capital and balance-sheet flexibility to grow their portfolios.

Since its formation in 2010, Service Properties Trust has grown its portfolio through strategic sale-leaseback transactions, targeted property acquisitions and selective dispositions.