KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Earns “Buy” Rating from BTIG Research

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by BTIG Research in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $13.00 price target on the stock. BTIG Research’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 56.82% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on KREF. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $9.00 target price (down previously from $9.50) on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $8.75 to $8.25 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $10.45.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Stock Performance

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust stock opened at $8.29 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $8.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $8.75. The stock has a market cap of $542.91 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -23.69 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.63, a current ratio of 423.43 and a quick ratio of 423.43. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a 1-year low of $7.55 and a 1-year high of $11.53.

Insider Transactions at KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

In other news, CEO Matthew A. Salem purchased 32,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $7.84 per share, for a total transaction of $250,880.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 561,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,404,708. The trade was a 6.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ralph F. Rosenberg sold 125,289 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.25, for a total value of $1,033,634.25. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have bought 55,000 shares of company stock worth $431,710. 1.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KREF. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 2.0% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. grew its holdings in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 143.9% in the 4th quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. now owns 43,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $361,000 after buying an additional 25,900 shares during the last quarter. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust during the fourth quarter worth $55,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 29.6% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 20,671 shares of the company’s stock valued at $170,000 after buying an additional 4,724 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP grew its holdings in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 250.4% during the 3rd quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 45,265 shares of the company’s stock worth $407,000 after purchasing an additional 32,348 shares in the last quarter. 70.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

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.