Struggling REIT Stock Popular Among Options Bears

MPW is trading within penny stock territory

Fernanda Horner

Digital Content Manager

Oct 19, 2023 at 3:32 PM

Medical Properties Trust Inc (NYSE:MPW) is up 0.3% at $4.76 at last check, despite a broader market pullback. Shares yesterday closed firmly below penny stock territory, after hovering on both sides of $5 since late September. The equity is down 57% so far this year, and yesterday marked its biggest single-day percentage drop since Sept. 21, with pressure stemming from its 20-day moving average.

MPW 20 Day

The equity recently earned a spot on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of stocks with the highest weekly options volume in the last two weeks. Per White's data, 94,879 calls and 203,891 puts were traded over the past two weeks, with the October 5 put standing out as the most popular contract within that time frame.

MAO 1019

Wha'ts more, the equity's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) ranks at a high 92 out of 100. This means MPW exceeded option traders' volatility expectations during the past 12 months.

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