Congress Asset Management Co. Boosts Stake in Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE)

Congress Asset Management Co. raised its position in Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE - Free Report) by 32.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 495,091 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 120,683 shares during the quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. owned about 0.21% of Apple Hospitality REIT worth $7,600,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of APLE. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 16,212 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $241,000 after buying an additional 921 shares during the period. Ellis Investment Partners LLC raised its position in Apple Hospitality REIT by 4.6% in the third quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC now owns 21,383 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $318,000 after acquiring an additional 948 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT by 8.2% in the third quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 13,365 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $198,000 after acquiring an additional 1,008 shares during the period. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 169,222 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $2,513,000 after purchasing an additional 1,105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 14.6% during the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 11,727 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $174,000 after purchasing an additional 1,490 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.66% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on APLE. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Apple Hospitality REIT from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in a report on Monday, December 9th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $18.00 target price for the company. Oppenheimer reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $18.00 price target (up previously from $17.00) on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Apple Hospitality REIT from $17.00 to $16.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America upgraded Apple Hospitality REIT from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $16.00 to $17.00 in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple Hospitality REIT presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $16.80.

Apple Hospitality REIT Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of APLE stock traded down $0.11 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $15.26. 3,062,192 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,741,894. Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. has a 1 year low of $13.60 and a 1 year high of $16.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $15.33 and a 200 day moving average of $15.10. The firm has a market cap of $3.66 billion, a PE ratio of 17.95 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 0.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03.

Apple Hospitality REIT Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.29%. Apple Hospitality REIT's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 112.94%.

About Apple Hospitality REIT

Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc NYSE: APLE is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of upscale, rooms-focused hotels in the United States. Apple Hospitality's portfolio consists of 223 hotels with more than 29,400 guest rooms located in 87 markets throughout 37 states as well as one property leased to third parties.