First Trust Advisors LP Buys 146,131 Shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance $ARI

First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI) by 23.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 782,514 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 146,131 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance were worth $8,263,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 388.7% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 3,255 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 2,589 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 60.2% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 5,037 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,892 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 61.7% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,656 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,777 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in the third quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV boosted its holdings in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 47,757.1% in the fourth quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 6,700 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 6,686 shares during the period. 54.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Price Performance

NYSE ARI opened at $6.64 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $868.90 million, a PE ratio of 8.20 and a beta of 1.35. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $9.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 81.80 and a current ratio of 81.81. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has a 52-week low of $6.43 and a 52-week high of $11.24.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $3.75 per share. This represents a $15.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 225.7%. This is a positive change from Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 123.46%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ARI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday. BTIG Research downgraded Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Bank of America assumed coverage on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $11.50 price target on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $11.33.

Insider Transactions at Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

In other Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance news, Director Carmencita N.M. Whonder sold 4,574 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.93, for a total transaction of $49,993.82. Following the sale, the director owned 24,799 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $271,053.07. This trade represents a 15.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.52% of the company’s stock.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Profile

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc (NYSE: ARI) is a real estate finance company structured as a real estate investment trust (REIT). The company focuses on originating, acquiring and managing a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate debt and preferred equity investments. As an externally managed vehicle, ARI leverages the expertise and resources of an affiliate of Apollo Global Management, a leading global alternative investment manager.

ARI’s investment strategy is centered on providing first mortgage loans, mezzanine debt financing, bridge loans and preferred equity across a broad range of property types, including office, retail, industrial and multifamily assets.