Ladder Capital (NYSE:LADR) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Ladder Capital Corp (NYSE:LADR) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Monday . Approximately 624,662 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 20% from the previous session’s volume of 521,263 shares.The stock last traded at $11.07 and had previously closed at $11.21.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LADR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Ladder Capital from $13.00 to $12.75 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. B. Riley raised shares of Ladder Capital to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ladder Capital presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $13.29.

Ladder Capital Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.63 and a beta of 1.92. The company has a quick ratio of 54.44, a current ratio of 54.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.34. The company’s 50-day moving average is $11.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.60.

Ladder Capital Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.30%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. Ladder Capital’s dividend payout ratio is currently 121.05%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ladder Capital

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LADR. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its stake in Ladder Capital by 18.3% in the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 32,300 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $361,000 after buying an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its stake in shares of Ladder Capital by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 180,340 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $2,018,000 after purchasing an additional 16,543 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in shares of Ladder Capital by 27.2% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,223,151 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $13,687,000 after purchasing an additional 261,681 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new position in shares of Ladder Capital during the 4th quarter valued at $4,323,000. Finally, Longboard Asset Management LP purchased a new position in Ladder Capital in the 4th quarter worth $160,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.25% of the company’s stock.

Ladder Capital Company Profile

Ladder Capital Corp operates as an internally-managed real estate investment trust in the United States. It operates through three segments: Loans, Securities, and Real Estate. The Loans segment originates conduit first mortgage loans that are secured by cash-flowing commercial real estate; and originates and invests in balance sheet first mortgage loans secured by commercial real estate properties that are undergoing transition, including lease-up, sell-out, and renovation or repositioning.