KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) have received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the seven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $10.00.

KREF has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research downgraded KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on 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, February 5th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. XTX Topco Ltd boosted its position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 75.8% during the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 84,190 shares of the company’s stock valued at $692,000 after acquiring an additional 36,311 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 574,289 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,721,000 after purchasing an additional 26,878 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in the 4th quarter valued at about $163,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 89.1% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 12,955 shares of the company’s stock worth $106,000 after purchasing an additional 6,104 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wisconsin Investment Board acquired a new stake in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust during the fourth quarter worth approximately $159,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.23% of the company’s stock.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Stock Up 3.1%

Shares of NYSE KREF opened at $7.43 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $477.60 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.08 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 407.64, a quick ratio of 407.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a 12 month low of $6.64 and a 12 month high of $11.53. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $7.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.44.

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

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.5%. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s payout ratio is -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.