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

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from “hold” to “strong sell,” following other analyst downgrades. Despite this, the overall analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with an average price target of $11.33.
• ARI opened at $6.79, near its 12-month low of $6.43 and below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages of $9.60 and $10.30, respectively.
• Institutional investors own 54.43% of the company, while insiders own 0.52%; a director recently sold 4,574 shares at an average price of $10.93.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

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

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Price Performance

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

Insider Transactions at Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

In related news, Director Carmencita N.M. Whonder sold 4,574 shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $271,053.07. The trade was a 15.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible 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

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 388.7% in 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. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 1,777 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in the 3rd quarter valued at about $50,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 41.7% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,395 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 1,587 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.43% of the company's stock.

About Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

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.

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