Carmel Capital Partners LLC Raises Stake in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance $ARI

Key Points

• Carmel Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 40.0% in Q4 to 314,501 shares (about $3.04M), joining other institutional buyers that contribute to roughly 54.43% institutional ownership of ARI.
• Apollo (NYSE:ARI) yields a high dividend (quarterly $0.25, annualized $1.00; 9.0% yield) with a high payout ratio (125%); the company’s latest quarter met EPS estimates ($0.26) and beat revenue, and the stock trades near $11 with a consensus analyst rating of Hold (average target $11.00).

Carmel Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI - Free Report) by 40.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 314,501 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after acquiring an additional 89,887 shares during the period. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance comprises approximately 1.1% of Carmel Capital Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Carmel Capital Partners LLC owned about 0.23% of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance worth $3,044,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 251.8% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 171,808 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,718,000 after acquiring an additional 122,970 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its holdings in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 117.5% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 304,979 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $3,089,000 after buying an additional 164,740 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 111.8% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 689,903 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $6,989,000 after buying an additional 364,098 shares during the last quarter. RDST Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance during the third quarter worth $1,490,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 21.9% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 774,154 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $7,842,000 after acquiring an additional 139,336 shares during the last quarter. 54.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:ARI opened at $11.13 on Friday. The business's 50 day moving average is $10.66 and its 200 day moving average is $10.29. The stock has a market cap of $1.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.91 and a beta of 1.46. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has a 52-week low of $9.02 and a 52-week high of $11.24. The company has a quick ratio of 96.78, a current ratio of 96.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.26. The business had revenue of $73.25 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $46.97 million. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance had a return on equity of 7.94% and a net margin of 46.66%. Sell-side analysts predict that Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance will post 0.88 EPS for the current year.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 125.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on ARI shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen cut Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, January 3rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $10.75 to $11.50 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $11.00.

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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