Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:ACRE) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:ACRE) have earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $4.9167.

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from $4.50 to $4.75 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from $5.00 to $4.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Ares Commercial Real Estate to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE:ACRE opened at $4.92 on Thursday. Ares Commercial Real Estate has a 52 week low of $3.35 and a 52 week high of $7.49. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $4.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $270.35 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -14.46 and a beta of 1.34.

Ares Commercial Real Estate (NYSE:ACRE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.09) by $0.17. Ares Commercial Real Estate had a negative return on equity of 5.44% and a negative net margin of 29.57%.The firm had revenue of $5.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.35 million. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Ares Commercial Real Estate will post -0.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.2%. Ares Commercial Real Estate’s dividend payout ratio is -400.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ares Commercial Real Estate

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ACRE. Penserra Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 21.0% during the first quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 157,038 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $727,000 after buying an additional 27,305 shares during the period. Round Rock Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Ares Commercial Real Estate during the 1st quarter worth approximately $167,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 124,250 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $575,000 after purchasing an additional 3,250 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 18.0% in the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 34,472 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $160,000 after purchasing an additional 5,267 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate during the 1st quarter worth $661,000. 41.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Company Profile

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation, a specialty finance company, originates and invests in commercial real estate (CRE) loans and related investments in the United States. It provides a range of financing solutions for the owners, operators, and sponsors of CRE properties. The company originates senior mortgage loans, subordinate debt and preferred equity products, mezzanine loans, and other CRE investments, including commercial mortgage-backed securities.