Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 14,680,000 shares, an increase of 29.8% from the October 31st total of 11,310,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,610,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.1 days.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Healthcare Realty Trust news, Director John Knox Singleton bought 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $18.24 per share, with a total value of $118,560.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 57,082 shares in the company, valued at $1,041,175.68. This trade represents a 12.85 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas N. Bohjalian purchased 7,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $17.39 per share, for a total transaction of $134,772.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 50,002 shares in the company, valued at $869,534.78. The trade was a 18.34 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.56% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Healthcare Realty Trust

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Healthcare Realty Trust by 38.1% during the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,276 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 628 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Healthcare Realty Trust by 260.6% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,809 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 2,030 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Healthcare Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at $65,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of Healthcare Realty Trust in the third quarter worth $78,000. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Healthcare Realty Trust in the third quarter worth $89,000.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on HR. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Healthcare Realty Trust from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $17.00 price objective (up previously from $16.00) on shares of Healthcare Realty Trust in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Wedbush raised their target price on Healthcare Realty Trust from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.17.

Healthcare Realty Trust Stock Down 0.9 %

NYSE HR opened at $18.32 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $17.75 and its 200-day moving average is $17.35. The firm has a market cap of $6.49 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.59 and a beta of 0.91. Healthcare Realty Trust has a 12-month low of $12.77 and a 12-month high of $18.90.

Healthcare Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.77%. Healthcare Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently -78.48%.

About Healthcare Realty Trust

Healthcare Realty (NYSE: HR) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and operates medical outpatient buildings primarily located around market-leading hospital campuses. The Company selectively grows its portfolio through property acquisition and development. As the first and largest REIT to specialize in medical outpatient buildings, Healthcare Realty's portfolio includes more than 700 properties totaling over 40 million square feet concentrated in 15 growth markets.