StockNews.com Upgrades Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI) to Hold

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Thursday.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on ARI. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $9.00 to $8.75 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $9.50 to $8.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $10.00 to $9.50 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $9.31.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance stock traded down $0.04 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $9.11. 1,086,421 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 778,502. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has a twelve month low of $8.44 and a twelve month high of $11.64. The company has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a PE ratio of -9.90 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a quick ratio of 46.13, a current ratio of 46.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $8.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.38.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.98%. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance's dividend payout ratio is currently -108.69%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 327.1% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 3,045 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 2,332 shares in the last quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in the third quarter valued at $44,000. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 57.7% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 7,002 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 2,562 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in the fourth quarter worth $93,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,130,000. 54.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) that originates, acquires, invests in, and manages commercial first mortgage loans, subordinate financings, and other commercial real estate-related debt investments in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.