AlphaQuest LLC Raises Stock Holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust $RLJ

AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) by 1,129.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 135,979 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 124,920 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust were worth $979,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of RLJ. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in RLJ Lodging Trust by 2,721.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,470 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 3,347 shares during the period. KBC Group NV grew its holdings in shares of 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 worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,870 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in RLJ Lodging Trust in the 2nd quarter worth about $76,000. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new stake in RLJ Lodging Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $93,000. Finally, Belvedere Trading LLC purchased a new stake in RLJ Lodging Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at about $125,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.35% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other RLJ Lodging Trust news, Director Robin Mcbride Zeigler sold 13,413 shares of RLJ Lodging Trust stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.51, for a total value of $100,731.63. Following the transaction, the director owned 37,159 shares in the company, valued at $279,064.09. The trade was a 26.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on RLJ shares. Barclays initiated 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. Raymond James Financial raised RLJ Lodging Trust from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $9.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded RLJ Lodging Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $8.64.

RLJ Lodging Trust Price Performance

NYSE RLJ opened at $7.46 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $1.13 billion, a PE ratio of 149.10 and a beta of 1.12. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $7.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $7.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 2.55. RLJ Lodging Trust has a 52-week low of $6.16 and a 52-week high of $9.85.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $330.05 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $326.13 million. RLJ Lodging Trust had a return on equity of 1.78% and a net margin of 2.48%.The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.40 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

RLJ Lodging Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.0%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. RLJ Lodging Trust’s dividend payout ratio is 1,200.00%.

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.