RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) Announces $0.15 Quarterly Dividend

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of 0.15 per share by the real estate investment trust on Thursday, October 15th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th.

RLJ Lodging Trust has raised its dividend by an average of 0.7%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 3 years. RLJ Lodging Trust has a dividend payout ratio of 600.0% meaning the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Equities research analysts expect RLJ Lodging Trust to earn $1.33 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.60 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 45.1%.

RLJ Lodging Trust Trading Up 0.3%

RLJ Lodging Trust stock traded up $0.04 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $10.96. 1,562,892 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,034,202. The company has a current ratio of 5.71, a quick ratio of 5.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $11.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.91. RLJ Lodging Trust has a fifty-two week low of $6.54 and a fifty-two week high of $12.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.56 and a beta of 1.08.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.37. The business had revenue of $382.99 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $370.49 million. RLJ Lodging Trust had a net margin of 2.00% and a return on equity of 1.52%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.48 EPS. RLJ Lodging Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.370-1.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.33 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 29.8% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,992 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 1,374 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in RLJ Lodging Trust during the 1st quarter valued at about $108,000. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in RLJ Lodging Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $201,000. State of Wyoming grew its position in RLJ Lodging Trust by 12.3% in the 1st quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 17,904 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $133,000 after acquiring an additional 1,963 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in RLJ Lodging Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at about $472,000. 92.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About RLJ Lodging Trust

RLJ Lodging Trust is a self-managed real estate investment trust that owns and operates a portfolio of premium-branded, focused-service and compact full-service hotels in the United States. Its properties are generally located in urban and high-barrier-to-entry suburban markets, with an emphasis on business, leisure and other demand-generating locations.

The company’s hotels operate under well-known brands, including offerings affiliated with Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group.