Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation $ACRE Shares Acquired by Samalin Investment Counsel LLC

Key Points

• Samalin Investment Counsel LLC significantly increased its stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:ACRE) by 132.6%, owning 135,115 shares worth $626,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
• Ares Commercial Real Estate's stock is currently trading at $4.55, reflecting a 2.4% decline, with a 52-week range of $3.35 to $7.83.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, resulting in an annualized yield of 13.2%, despite a negative payout ratio of -176.47%.

Samalin Investment Counsel LLC grew its stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:ACRE - Free Report) by 132.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 135,115 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after acquiring an additional 77,026 shares during the period. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC owned about 0.25% of Ares Commercial Real Estate worth $626,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 267.2% during the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 263,571 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,552,000 after acquiring an additional 191,799 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 505.7% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 316,969 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,867,000 after acquiring an additional 264,641 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 82.9% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 65,072 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $383,000 after acquiring an additional 29,498 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 2.7% during the first quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 124,250 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $575,000 after acquiring an additional 3,250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Delphi Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Ares Commercial Real Estate in the first quarter worth approximately $995,000. Institutional investors own 41.34% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Ares Commercial Real Estate from $5.00 to $4.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on Ares Commercial Real Estate from $4.80 to $4.25 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Ares Commercial Real Estate from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $5.31.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Price Performance

NYSE:ACRE traded up $0.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $4.73. The company's stock had a trading volume of 347,002 shares, compared to its average volume of 493,037. Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation has a 1 year low of $3.35 and a 1 year high of $7.83. The stock has a market cap of $259.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -13.90 and a beta of 1.33. The business's fifty day moving average is $4.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.56.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 30th will be given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 30th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.7%. Ares Commercial Real Estate's dividend payout ratio is -176.47%.

About Ares Commercial Real Estate

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation, a specialty finance company, originates and invests in commercial real estate (CRE) loans and related investments in the United States. It provides a range of financing solutions for the owners, operators, and sponsors of CRE properties. The company originates senior mortgage loans, subordinate debt and preferred equity products, mezzanine loans, and other CRE investments, including commercial mortgage-backed securities.