RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) Announces Earnings Results

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The real estate investment trust reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.04, Zacks reports. RLJ Lodging Trust had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 1.78%. RLJ Lodging Trust updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.210-1.410 EPS.

RLJ Lodging Trust Trading Up 4.5%

Shares of RLJ traded up $0.36 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $8.31. 3,535,059 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,637,486. RLJ Lodging Trust has a 12 month low of $6.16 and a 12 month high of $9.63. The company has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 166.20 and a beta of 1.12. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $7.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.49. The company has a quick ratio of 2.55, a current ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21.

RLJ Lodging Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. RLJ Lodging Trust’s payout ratio is presently 1,200.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RLJ Lodging Trust

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $136,000. XTX Topco Ltd increased its stake in RLJ Lodging Trust by 15.3% in the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 44,165 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $329,000 after acquiring an additional 5,874 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $914,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 141.6% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 188,352 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,403,000 after purchasing an additional 110,393 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Man Group plc increased its position in RLJ Lodging Trust by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. Man Group plc now owns 537,105 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $4,001,000 after purchasing an additional 37,052 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on RLJ shares. Barclays began coverage on RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $6.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James Financial upgraded RLJ Lodging Trust from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $9.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $8.64.

About RLJ Lodging Trust

RLJ Lodging Trust is a self-managed, publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, owns and operates premium-branded, focused-service and compact full-service hotels. The company’s portfolio is concentrated in major U.S. markets, targeting properties that benefit from strong corporate and leisure demand, limited new supply and established brand affiliations.

The trust’s hotels are affiliated with leading global lodging brands across the spectrum of service levels, including lifestyle and upscale segments.