Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE) Short Interest Update

Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 15,135,613 shares, a drop of 12.1% from the December 31st total of 17,212,035 shares. Currently, 6.9% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,954,650 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 7.7 days. Based on an average trading volume of 1,954,650 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 7.7 days. Currently, 6.9% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Apple Hospitality REIT Price Performance

Shares of APLE opened at $11.78 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 0.06 and a quick ratio of 0.06. Apple Hospitality REIT has a 1-year low of $10.44 and a 1-year high of $15.86. The stock has a market cap of $2.79 billion, a PE ratio of 16.13 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $12.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $12.06.

Apple Hospitality REIT (NYSE:APLE) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.02. Apple Hospitality REIT had a return on equity of 5.46% and a net margin of 12.37%.The business had revenue of $373.88 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $371.94 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Hospitality REIT will post 1.6 EPS for the current year.

Apple Hospitality REIT Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.2%. Apple Hospitality REIT’s payout ratio is currently 131.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on APLE. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in a research report on Friday, December 26th. Barclays began coverage on Apple Hospitality REIT in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $14.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America cut Apple Hospitality REIT from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $11.50 price objective for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Apple Hospitality REIT currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $12.92.

Insider Transactions at Apple Hospitality REIT

In other news, Chairman Glade M. Knight purchased 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $11.91 per share, for a total transaction of $59,550.00. Following the acquisition, the chairman directly owned 710,344 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,460,197.04. The trade was a 0.71% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders have purchased a total of 8,000 shares of company stock valued at $95,180 in the last ninety days. 7.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apple Hospitality REIT

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of APLE. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in Apple Hospitality REIT by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 170,862 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,205,000 after purchasing an additional 4,712 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Apple Hospitality REIT by 114.3% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 136,046 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,732,000 after purchasing an additional 72,553 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 5.2% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 137,557 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,776,000 after buying an additional 6,788 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 295.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,427 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 1,814 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 10,235.7% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 21,705 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $280,000 after buying an additional 21,495 shares during the period. 89.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Apple Hospitality REIT

Apple Hospitality REIT (NYSE: APLE) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that focuses on acquiring, owning and operating high-quality, upscale, select-service hotels. The company’s portfolio primarily consists of properties operated under premium franchise agreements with leading lodging brands such as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt. Apple Hospitality REIT is self-managed and internally advised, overseeing property management, revenue optimization and asset-level operations through its in-house team of hospitality professionals.

The company’s holdings encompass over 200 hotels featuring more than 30,000 guest rooms across a diverse array of markets in the United States.