KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Price Target Cut to $8.00 by Analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) had its price objective cut by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $8.25 to $8.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the stock.

KREF has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and set a $9.00 price target (down previously from $9.50) on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. BTIG Research lowered KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $10.00.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Stock Down 7.4%

KREF opened at $7.30 on Thursday. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a fifty-two week low of $7.22 and a fifty-two week high of $11.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83, a current ratio of 407.64 and a quick ratio of 423.43. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $8.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $8.73. The company has a market capitalization of $468.92 million, a P/E ratio of -6.95 and a beta of 0.88.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 year.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 13.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently -95.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

In related news, Director Ralph F. Rosenberg sold 125,289 shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.25, for a total value of $1,033,634.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Drive Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 12.9% during the second quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 119,601 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,079,000 after acquiring an additional 13,658 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its holdings in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 262.2% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 204,308 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,792,000 after purchasing an additional 147,895 shares during the last quarter. Condor Capital Management lifted its position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 27.6% during the 2nd quarter. Condor Capital Management now owns 344,625 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,022,000 after purchasing an additional 74,532 shares during the period. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $570,000. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 33,895 shares of the company’s stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 1,913 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.23% of the company’s stock.

More KKR Real Estate Finance Trust News

Here are the key news stories impacting KKR Real Estate Finance Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target from $10 to $9 but kept an “overweight” rating, implying meaningful upside vs. the current share level — a supportive institutional view. Article
• Positive Sentiment: KKR’s Q4 call outlined a $1.5B repayment target and aggressive asset resolutions — moves that should strengthen the balance sheet and reduce credit risk over time. MSN: Repayment & Resolutions
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its target to $8 and rates KREF “market perform” — a muted view that signals steady but limited near-term upside. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: The Q4 2025 earnings call transcript/coverage shows revenue and EPS beats but continued negative margins and management’s evaluation of dividend policy — results that are mixed for income-focused investors. Earnings Call Transcript Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its target to $8 and set a “neutral” rating — a downgrade that removes a prior bullish catalyst and likely pressured shares. Article
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG moved from “buy” to “neutral” on KREF, reducing conviction from a prior buy recommendation. BTIG Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut KREF to a “strong sell,” a significant negative signal for sentiment and likely a contributor to intraday selling pressure. Zacks

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.