KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Stock Rating Lowered by BTIG Research

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) was downgraded by equities researchers at BTIG Research from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat reports.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $9.00 price target (down from $9.50) on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on 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 Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:KREF opened at $7.34 on Thursday. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a 1 year low of $7.22 and a 1 year high of $11.53. The company has a market capitalization of $471.82 million, a PE ratio of -6.99 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $8.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83, a current ratio of 407.64 and a quick ratio of 423.43.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $32.72 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $26.06 million. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust had a negative return on equity of 1.13% and a negative net margin of 10.80%. Analysts forecast that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust will post 1.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

In other KKR Real Estate Finance Trust news, Director Ralph F. Rosenberg sold 125,289 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.25, for a total transaction of $1,033,634.25. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 178.3% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 2,266 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of 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 valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 1,725 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 742.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,151 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 3,658 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 3,904.6% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 4,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 4,256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in the 3rd quarter worth about $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.23% of the company’s stock.

Key KKR Real Estate Finance Trust News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 2025 results and management commentary showed strategic expansion and stronger-than-expected numbers (EPS and revenue beat), which supports valuation and cash-flow outlook. Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a $1.5B repayment target and aggressive asset resolution plans while evaluating dividend strategy — a deleveraging plan that reduces credit risk and could improve investor confidence if executed. Repayment/Dividend Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target from $10 to $9 but maintained an overweight rating — a lower target but continued confidence from that shop could limit downside. Wells Fargo Note
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan trimmed its target to $8.00 and kept a neutral rating, and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods also lowered theirs to $8.00 (market perform) — modest target compression but not outright negative stance from these firms. JPMorgan / KBW Notes
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG downgraded KREF from buy to neutral, reducing an important buy-side endorsement and likely weighing on investor sentiment. BTIG Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded the stock from hold to strong sell, a sharp cut that can pressure retail and quant flows tied to third?party ratings. Zacks Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Implied volatility in KREF options is surging, signaling elevated trader expectation of larger price swings (higher uncertainty and risk premium), which can amplify intraday moves and raise hedging costs. Options Volatility Article

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.