Starwood Property Trust, Inc. to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.48 (NYSE:STWD)

Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:STWD) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, March 15th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 29th will be given a dividend of 0.48 per share by the real estate investment trust on Monday, April 15th. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th.

Starwood Property Trust has a payout ratio of 94.1% meaning its dividend is currently covered by earnings, but may not be in the future if the company’s earnings decline. Research analysts expect Starwood Property Trust to earn $2.02 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.92 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 95.0%.

Starwood Property Trust Price Performance

STWD stock traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $20.45. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 275,328 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,159,933. Starwood Property Trust has a 12 month low of $16.06 and a 12 month high of $22.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.11 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a 50 day moving average of $20.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.99.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on STWD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Starwood Property Trust from $20.50 to $21.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. UBS Group started coverage on Starwood Property Trust in a report on Wednesday, December 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $21.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $21.50 price objective (down from $22.50) on shares of Starwood Property Trust in a report on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Starwood Property Trust from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.50.

Insider Activity at Starwood Property Trust

In other Starwood Property Trust news, President Jeffrey F. Dimodica sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.33, for a total value of $508,250.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 925,984 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,825,254.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, President Jeffrey F. Dimodica sold 75,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.06, for a total transaction of $1,654,500.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 950,984 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,978,707.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, President Jeffrey F. Dimodica sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.33, for a total value of $508,250.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 925,984 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,825,254.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 5.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starwood Property Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its position in Starwood Property Trust by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 1,500 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its position in Starwood Property Trust by 111.8% during the first quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,224 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,174 shares in the last quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in Starwood Property Trust by 50.0% during the first quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in Starwood Property Trust by 85.7% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,210 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 1,481 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Starwood Property Trust during the first quarter valued at about $140,000. Institutional investors own 49.82% of the company’s stock.

Starwood Property Trust Company Profile

Starwood Property Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Commercial and Residential Lending, Infrastructure Lending, Property, and Investing and Servicing segments. The Commercial and Residential Lending segment originates, acquires, finances, and manages commercial first mortgages, non-agency residential mortgages, subordinated mortgages, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), and residential mortgage-backed securities, as well as other real estate and real estate-related debt investments, include distressed or non-performing loans.