KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Sets New 12-Month Low After Analyst Downgrade

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) reached a new 52-week low on Thursday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $8.50 to $8.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust traded as low as $7.22 and last traded at $7.2950, with a volume of 3312331 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $7.88.

Several other research analysts have also commented on KREF. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. BTIG Research lowered shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $8.25 to $8.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $10.00.

Insider Activity at KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

In related news, Director Ralph F. Rosenberg sold 125,289 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.25, for a total value of $1,033,634.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Christen E.J. Lee acquired 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $7.80 per share, with a total value of $78,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 229,133 shares in the company, valued at $1,787,237.40. This represents a 4.56% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Key KKR Real Estate Finance Trust News

Here are the key news stories impacting KKR Real Estate Finance Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target from $10 to $9 but kept an “overweight” rating, implying meaningful upside vs. the current share level — a supportive institutional view. Article
• Positive Sentiment: KKR’s Q4 call outlined a $1.5B repayment target and aggressive asset resolutions — moves that should strengthen the balance sheet and reduce credit risk over time. MSN: Repayment & Resolutions
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its target to $8 and rates KREF “market perform” — a muted view that signals steady but limited near-term upside. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: The Q4 2025 earnings call transcript/coverage shows revenue and EPS beats but continued negative margins and management’s evaluation of dividend policy — results that are mixed for income-focused investors. Earnings Call Transcript Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its target to $8 and set a “neutral” rating — a downgrade that removes a prior bullish catalyst and likely pressured shares. Article
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG moved from “buy” to “neutral” on KREF, reducing conviction from a prior buy recommendation. BTIG Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut KREF to a “strong sell,” a significant negative signal for sentiment and likely a contributor to intraday selling pressure. Zacks

Institutional Trading of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100,672 shares of the company’s stock worth $828,000 after purchasing an additional 1,976 shares during the last quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. raised its position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 143.9% in the 4th quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. now owns 43,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $361,000 after buying an additional 25,900 shares during the period. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in the fourth quarter valued at $55,000. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 29.6% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 20,671 shares of the company’s stock valued at $170,000 after acquiring an additional 4,724 shares during the period. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP increased its stake in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 250.4% during the third quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 45,265 shares of the company’s stock worth $407,000 after acquiring an additional 32,348 shares during the last quarter. 70.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Trading Down 7.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83, a quick ratio of 423.43 and a current ratio of 407.64. The company has a market capitalization of $468.92 million, a PE ratio of -6.95 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $8.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.73.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.08. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust had a negative net margin of 10.80% and a negative return on equity of 1.13%. The business had revenue of $32.72 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.06 million. Analysts expect that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust will post 1.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.7%. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently -95.24%.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Company Profile

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust, Inc (NYSE: KREF) is a mortgage real estate investment trust sponsored by KKR & Co Inc The company focuses on originating, acquiring, financing and managing a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate debt and real estate-related assets across the United States and select European markets.

The trust’s investment strategy is centered on lending to high-quality office, industrial, retail, multifamily and hotel properties. Its portfolio primarily consists of senior mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, floating-rate debt securities and preferred equity positions.