Medical Properties Trust, Inc. ( MPW ) shares are trading higher Wednesday after the company's tenant Steward Health Care entered a deal to sell its nationwide physician network to UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s ( UNH ) Optum Care unit.

The Details: 

According to a report from StatNews, the sale of the doctors group is part of Steward's plan to bolster its system of 33 hospitals after the company fell behind in bills and rents.

Medical Properties ( MPW ) shares are moving on heavy volume following the news of the sale. According to data from Benzinga Pro, more than 27.6 million shares have already been traded in the session, surpassing the stock's 100-day average of 23.513 million shares. 

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Will MPW Stock Go Up?

When trying to assess whether or not Medical Properties Trust ( MPW ) will trade higher from current levels, it's a good idea to take a look at analyst forecasts.

Wall Street analysts have an average 12-month price target of $5 on Medical Properties Trust ( MPW ). The Street high target is currently at $7 and the Street low target is $2. Of all the analysts covering Medical Properties Trust ( MPW ), 2 have positive ratings, one has neutral ratings and one has negative ratings.

In the last month, one analyst has adjusted price targets. Here's a look at recent price target changes [Analyst Ratings]. Benzinga also tracks Wall Street's most accurate analysts. Check out how analysts covering Medical Properties Trust ( MPW ) have performed in recent history.

Stocks don't move in a straight line. The average stock market return is approximately 10% per year. Medical Properties Trust ( MPW ) is 40.38% down year-to-date. The average analyst price target suggests the stock could have further upside ahead.

For a broad overview of everything you need to know about Medical Properties Trust ( MPW ), visit here. If you want to go above and beyond, there's no better tool to help you do just that than Benzinga Pro. Start your free trial today.

MPW Price Action: According to Benzinga Pro, Medical Properties Trust ( MPW ) shares are up 15.9% at $4.61 at the time of publication Wednesday.

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