Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) Short Interest Up 19.1% in February

Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 6,212,303 shares, an increase of 19.1% from the January 29th total of 5,215,336 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,845,805 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.4 days. Approximately 3.7% of the company’s stock are short sold. Approximately 3.7% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,845,805 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.4 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on SVC shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of 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 Service Properties Trust from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Service Properties Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Service Properties Trust currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $2.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Laurie B. Burns sold 87,680 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2.32, for a total value of $203,417.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Service Properties Trust in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Savant Capital LLC bought a new position in Service Properties Trust in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of Service Properties Trust by 54.4% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 14,470 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 5,099 shares during the last quarter. HighRoad Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Service Properties Trust in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Service Properties Trust in the third quarter worth $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.62% of the company’s stock.

Service Properties Trust Stock Performance

Shares of SVC stock opened at $2.31 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.00, a current ratio of 0.14 and a quick ratio of 0.14. The firm has a market cap of $388.22 million, a P/E ratio of -1.91 and a beta of 1.40. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $2.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.21. Service Properties Trust has a fifty-two week low of $1.55 and a fifty-two week high of $3.08.

Service Properties Trust (NASDAQ:SVC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.16. Service Properties Trust had a negative return on equity of 29.70% and a negative net margin of 11.15%.The company had revenue of $397.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $394.32 million. Service Properties Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.650-0.770 EPS.

Service Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 26th were paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, January 26th. Service Properties Trust’s payout ratio is presently -3.31%.

Service Properties Trust Company Profile

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.