KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the seven ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $10.00.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. BTIG Research lowered shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $8.25 to $8.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Stock Performance

KREF stock traded down $0.07 during trading on Friday, hitting $7.20. 723,154 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,231,096. The stock has a market capitalization of $462.82 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.86 and a beta of 0.90. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a 52 week low of $6.64 and a 52 week high of $11.53. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $7.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.42. The company has a quick ratio of 407.64, a current ratio of 407.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83.

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

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s dividend payout ratio is -95.24%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 210.5% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,099 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,101 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake 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 valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 2,266 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 100.0% in the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,450 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,725 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 742.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 3,658 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP increased its position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 3,904.6% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 4,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 4,256 shares in the last quarter. 70.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

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.