Nuveen LLC Invests $7.81 Million in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance $ARI

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC has acquired a new stake in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE: ARI), purchasing 816,359 shares valued at approximately $7.8 million, which represents about 0.59% of the company.
• CEO Stuart Rothstein sold 52,074 shares at an average price of $9.83, reducing his ownership by 13.49%, leaving him with 333,854 shares valued at approximately $3.28 million.
• Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, yielding 9.6%, indicating a payout ratio of -714.29%.

Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 816,359 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $7,813,000. Nuveen LLC owned approximately 0.59% of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in ARI. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 195,554 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,694,000 after purchasing an additional 11,427 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in the 4th quarter valued at about $578,000. Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 27.4% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 419,608 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $3,633,000 after purchasing an additional 90,146 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 31.3% in the 4th quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 42,542 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 10,145 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in the 4th quarter valued at about $956,000. 54.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Stock Performance

ARI traded up $0.15 on Friday, hitting $10.60. 1,073,523 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 769,213. The company has a 50 day moving average of $9.95 and a 200-day moving average of $9.69. The company has a quick ratio of 98.25, a current ratio of 98.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a PE ratio of -75.68, a PEG ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.50. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has a 12-month low of $7.70 and a 12-month high of $10.61.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.4%. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance's dividend payout ratio is currently -714.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance news, CEO Stuart Rothstein sold 52,074 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.83, for a total transaction of $511,887.42. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 333,854 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,281,784.82. This represents a 13.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.