KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Analysts

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the eight research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $8.40.

Several equities research analysts have commented on KREF shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup downgraded KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “neutral” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Zacks Research lowered KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $9.00 to $7.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $7.00 to $6.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 24th.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Stock Performance

NYSE KREF opened at $7.01 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $6.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.12. The firm has a market cap of $451.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.77 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.90, a current ratio of 407.64 and a quick ratio of 407.64. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a 1 year low of $5.25 and a 1 year high of $9.98.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by ($0.17). KKR Real Estate Finance Trust had a negative net margin of 23.55% and a negative return on equity of 0.78%. The firm had revenue of $20.89 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.76 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust will post -1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -21.51%.

Insider Transactions at KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

In related news, COO W Patrick Mattson purchased 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $6.03 per share, with a total value of $241,200.00. Following the acquisition, the chief operating officer owned 500,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,016,730.61. This represents a 8.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Matthew A. Salem acquired 60,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The shares were bought at an average price of $6.04 per share, with a total value of $362,400.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 703,075 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,246,573. The trade was a 9.33% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 100.0% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,450 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,725 shares during the last quarter. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100,672 shares of the company’s stock valued at $828,000 after purchasing an additional 1,976 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 210.5% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,099 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,101 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 64.1% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,732 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 2,238 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 178.3% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 2,266 shares in the last quarter. 70.23% of the stock is owned by 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.