First Trust Advisors LP Grows Holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE)

First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE - Free Report) by 48.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 771,672 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 253,059 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.32% of Apple Hospitality REIT worth $11,845,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new stake in Apple Hospitality REIT in the fourth quarter worth $51,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 80.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,905 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 2,193 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its position in Apple Hospitality REIT by 20.1% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 6,740 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $104,000 after buying an additional 1,128 shares during the period. Finally, FIL Ltd grew its position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 76.4% during the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 8,599 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $132,000 after buying an additional 3,725 shares in the last quarter. 89.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Apple Hospitality REIT Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:APLE traded down $0.09 on Wednesday, hitting $11.76. 2,536,589 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,224,130. The firm's 50-day moving average is $12.89 and its 200 day moving average is $14.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 0.04 and a current ratio of 0.04. The company has a market capitalization of $2.81 billion, a PE ratio of 13.84 and a beta of 1.00. Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. has a 1-year low of $10.44 and a 1-year high of $16.50.

Apple Hospitality REIT (NYSE:APLE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 24th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Apple Hospitality REIT had a return on equity of 6.17% and a net margin of 14.53%. The company had revenue of $333.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $330.11 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. will post 1.6 EPS for the current year.

Apple Hospitality REIT Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.16%. Apple Hospitality REIT's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 109.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on APLE. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT from $17.00 to $16.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Bank of America upgraded Apple Hospitality REIT from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $16.00 to $17.00 in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Apple Hospitality REIT presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $16.80.

Apple Hospitality REIT Company Profile

Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc NYSE: APLE is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of upscale, rooms-focused hotels in the United States. Apple Hospitality's portfolio consists of 223 hotels with more than 29,400 guest rooms located in 87 markets throughout 37 states as well as one property leased to third parties.