Zacks Research Downgrades Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI) to Strong Sell

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. BTIG Research lowered Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Bank of America started coverage on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $11.50 price target for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $11.33.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Stock Performance

Shares of ARI opened at $6.79 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $9.60 and its 200-day moving average is $10.30. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has a 12 month low of $6.43 and a 12 month high of $11.24. The firm has a market cap of $888.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.39 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 81.80, a current ratio of 81.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Insider Activity at Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

In other news, Director Carmencita N.M. Whonder sold 4,574 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 24,799 shares in the company, valued at $271,053.07. The trade was a 15.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.52% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ARI. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 388.7% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 3,255 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 2,589 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 60.2% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 5,037 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 1,892 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 61.7% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,656 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 1,777 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance during the 3rd quarter worth about $50,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 41.7% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,395 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 1,587 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 54.43% of the company’s stock.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Company 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.