Nomura Holdings Inc. Lowers Position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance $ARI

Key Points

• Nomura Holdings Inc. reduced its holdings in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 23.6%, selling 863,698 shares, and now owns approximately 2.01% of the company worth $26.7 million.
• Despite Nomura's sale, several institutional investors increased their stakes, with notable increases from CWM LLC and Private Advisor Group LLC, showcasing ongoing interest in the real estate investment trust.
• Analysts have mixed views on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, with price targets ranging from $10.31 to $10.75, and a consensus rating of "Hold" from investment analysts.

Nomura Holdings Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI - Free Report) by 23.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,794,924 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 863,698 shares during the quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. owned 2.01% of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance worth $26,747,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance during the fourth quarter worth about $578,000. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 221.4% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 189,168 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,638,000 after buying an additional 130,308 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 84,116 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $728,000 after purchasing an additional 9,181 shares during the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 250.1% in the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 49,023 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $425,000 after purchasing an additional 35,021 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance during the 4th quarter valued at about $95,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.43% of the company's stock.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE ARI traded up $0.19 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $10.88. The company's stock had a trading volume of 498,185 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,112,774. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 98.25 and a current ratio of 98.25. The stock has a market cap of $1.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -77.68, a P/E/G ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.57. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has a 12 month low of $7.70 and a 12 month high of $10.88. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.70.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.2%. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -714.29%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Stuart Rothstein sold 52,074 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.83, for a total value of $511,887.42. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 333,854 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,281,784.82. This trade represents a 13.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $10.50 to $10.75 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $10.00 to $10.50 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $10.31.

About Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) that originates, acquires, invests in, and manages commercial first mortgage loans, subordinate financings, and other commercial real estate-related debt investments in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.