MEDICAL PROPERTIES TRUST INC

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPT) is an international real estate investment trust (REIT) based in Birmingham, Alabama that purchases and invests in healthcare facilities and for-profit healthcare holding companies, primarily in the United States and Europe. Their property acquisitions often come in the form of sale-leaseback agreements, in which the original property owner sells the property to MPT and becomes their tenant. MPT's tenants are generally subject to long-term triple net leases, in which tenants pay rent as well as the maintenance costs and property taxes usually handled by lessors. These lease types, common among REITs, are often seen by prospective tenants as a source of cash infusion which can allow them to avert bankruptcy, pay debts, or improve their properties.