Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI) was downgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $11.50 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, BTIG Research downgraded Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $11.33.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of ARI stock opened at $6.79 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $9.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.30. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has a 1-year low of $6.43 and a 1-year high of $11.24. The company has a market cap of $888.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.39 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 81.81 and a quick ratio of 81.80.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

In other news, Director Carmencita N.M. Whonder sold 4,574 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.93, for a total value of $49,993.82. Following the sale, the director owned 24,799 shares in the company, valued at $271,053.07. This represents a 15.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.52% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ARI. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 18.8% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 7,462 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 1,183 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 8.9% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 19,328 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $187,000 after purchasing an additional 1,582 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 41.7% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,395 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 1,587 shares in the last quarter. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC increased its holdings in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC now owns 83,682 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $810,000 after purchasing an additional 1,751 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 61.7% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,656 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 1,777 shares in the last quarter. 54.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Company Profile

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc (NYSE: ARI) is a real estate finance company structured as a real estate investment trust (REIT). The company focuses on originating, acquiring and managing a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate debt and preferred equity investments. As an externally managed vehicle, ARI leverages the expertise and resources of an affiliate of Apollo Global Management, a leading global alternative investment manager.

ARI’s investment strategy is centered on providing first mortgage loans, mezzanine debt financing, bridge loans and preferred equity across a broad range of property types, including office, retail, industrial and multifamily assets.