Short Interest in Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR) Decreases By 5.2%

Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 14,280,000 shares, a decline of 5.2% from the November 30th total of 15,060,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,160,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.5 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $17.00 price objective (up from $16.00) on shares of Healthcare Realty Trust in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Healthcare Realty Trust from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $19.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, December 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.50.

Healthcare Realty Trust Trading Up 1.9 %

Healthcare Realty Trust stock traded up $0.32 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $16.95. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,551,510 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,466,269. Healthcare Realty Trust has a twelve month low of $12.77 and a twelve month high of $18.90. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $17.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.56. The firm has a market cap of $6.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.73 and a beta of 0.93.

Healthcare Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.32%. Healthcare Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently -78.48%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Healthcare Realty Trust news, COO Robert E. Hull sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.48, for a total value of $174,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 171,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,996,072. The trade was a 5.51 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Thomas N. Bohjalian purchased 7,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $17.39 per share, for a total transaction of $134,772.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now 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. Insiders purchased 18,750 shares of company stock worth $323,723 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.56% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Healthcare Realty Trust

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Healthcare Realty Trust by 260.6% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,809 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 2,030 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in Healthcare Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $65,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Healthcare Realty Trust during the third quarter valued at $78,000. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Healthcare Realty Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at about $89,000.

Healthcare Realty Trust Company Profile

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.