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

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $10.00.

A number of research firms have commented on KREF. Zacks Research lowered KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price 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, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, BTIG Research cut shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust stock opened at $6.93 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $7.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $8.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $445.27 million, a PE ratio of -6.60 and a beta of 0.88. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a 52-week low of $6.64 and a 52-week high of $11.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83, a quick ratio of 407.64 and a current ratio of 407.64.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) last announced its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $32.72 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.06 million. On average, analysts anticipate that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust will post 1.05 EPS 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 issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 14.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently -95.24%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Ralph F. Rosenberg sold 125,289 shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust stock in a transaction 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KREF. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 25.9% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 353,216 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,815,000 after purchasing an additional 72,566 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust during the first quarter valued at approximately $288,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 317.2% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 204,589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,210,000 after buying an additional 155,553 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 72.1% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 172,162 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,859,000 after acquiring an additional 72,140 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust during the 1st quarter worth $66,000. 70.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.