Short Interest in Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:STRW) Rises By 50.3%

Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:STRW) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totaling 179,324 shares, an increase of 50.3% from the July 15th total of 119,331 shares. Approximately 1.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 54,059 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.3 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STRW has been the subject of a number of research reports. Alliance Global Partners reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Strawberry Fields REIT in a report on Friday, May 8th. B. Riley Financial restated a “neutral” rating and set a $14.50 price objective (up from $13.50) on shares of Strawberry Fields REIT in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on shares of Strawberry Fields REIT from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Compass Point raised Strawberry Fields REIT from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Strawberry Fields REIT to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $15.62.

Strawberry Fields REIT Stock Up 1.2%

Strawberry Fields REIT stock traded up $0.16 on Wednesday, hitting $14.02. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 10,390 shares, compared to its average volume of 30,439. The firm has a market cap of $198.52 million, a P/E ratio of 21.57 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $13.77 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.13. Strawberry Fields REIT has a one year low of $11.11 and a one year high of $14.75.

Strawberry Fields REIT (NYSEAMERICAN:STRW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16. Strawberry Fields REIT had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 17.25%. The company had revenue of $40.05 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $40.24 million. Analysts anticipate that Strawberry Fields REIT will post 1.4 EPS for the current year.

Strawberry Fields REIT Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 16th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. Strawberry Fields REIT’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 133.34%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Strawberry Fields REIT

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Strawberry Fields REIT in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $8,944,000. Diamond Hill Capital Management LLC Investment Advisor acquired a new position in Strawberry Fields REIT during the second quarter worth $4,794,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Strawberry Fields REIT by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 325,589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,265,000 after acquiring an additional 25,205 shares during the period. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Strawberry Fields REIT by 9.9% during the fourth quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 203,816 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,670,000 after acquiring an additional 18,415 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Strawberry Fields REIT by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 172,839 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,265,000 after purchasing an additional 6,969 shares in the last quarter.

About Strawberry Fields REIT

Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc, is a self-administered real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership, acquisition, development and leasing of skilled nursing and certain other healthcare-related properties. The Company's portfolio includes 109 healthcare facilities with an aggregate of 12,449 bed, located throughout the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The 109 healthcare facilities comprise 99 skilled nursing facilities, eight assisted living facilities, and two long-term acute care hospitals.