LADENBURG THALM/SH SH Initiates Coverage on RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ)

Analysts at LADENBURG THALM/SH SH assumed coverage on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday. The brokerage set a “neutral” rating and a $8.50 price target on the real estate investment trust’s stock. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 10.73% from the stock’s previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $6.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $8.14.

RLJ Lodging Trust Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of RLJ Lodging Trust stock opened at $7.68 on Thursday. RLJ Lodging Trust has a 1 year low of $6.16 and a 1 year high of $8.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 2.96 and a quick ratio of 2.96. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $7.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.53. The company has a market capitalization of $1.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 383.80 and a beta of 1.07.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $328.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $317.95 million. RLJ Lodging Trust had a return on equity of 1.54% and a net margin of 2.11%.RLJ Lodging Trust’s quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS. RLJ Lodging Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.210-1.410 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RLJ Lodging Trust

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec grew its stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 17.8% during the 4th quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 10,972 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $82,000 after buying an additional 1,661 shares during the period. State of Wyoming raised its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 23.6% in the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 9,120 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 1,741 shares during the period. M&G PLC boosted its holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust by 8.2% in the third quarter. M&G PLC now owns 24,355 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $170,000 after acquiring an additional 1,845 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust by 55.2% in the second quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 5,258 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 1,870 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its position in RLJ Lodging Trust by 3.7% during the second quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 56,709 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $413,000 after acquiring an additional 2,048 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.35% of the company’s stock.

About RLJ Lodging Trust

RLJ Lodging Trust is a self-managed, publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, owns and operates premium-branded, focused-service and compact full-service hotels. The company’s portfolio is concentrated in major U.S. markets, targeting properties that benefit from strong corporate and leisure demand, limited new supply and established brand affiliations.

The trust’s hotels are affiliated with leading global lodging brands across the spectrum of service levels, including lifestyle and upscale segments.