UBS Group AG Buys 1,786,018 Shares of Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. $APLE

Key Points

• UBS Group AG boosted its stake in Apple Hospitality REIT by 60.8%, adding 1,786,018 shares in Q4 to hold 4,721,481 shares (~2.0% of the company) worth about $55.95 million.
• Apple Hospitality REIT declared a $0.08 monthly dividend payable May 15 (a 7.1% yield), but the payout ratio is elevated at roughly 129.73%, raising questions about sustainability.

UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE - Free Report) by 60.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,721,481 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 1,786,018 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 2.00% of Apple Hospitality REIT worth $55,950,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Centerbridge Partners L.P. lifted its holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT by 18.4% during the 3rd quarter. Centerbridge Partners L.P. now owns 2,247,785 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $26,996,000 after buying an additional 350,000 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio lifted its holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT by 18.1% during the 3rd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 979,334 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $11,762,000 after buying an additional 150,000 shares in the last quarter. Waterfall Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT by 82.5% during the 3rd quarter. Waterfall Asset Management LLC now owns 730,000 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $8,767,000 after buying an additional 330,000 shares in the last quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Apple Hospitality REIT during the 3rd quarter valued at about $5,129,000. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT by 10.8% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 972,074 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $11,675,000 after buying an additional 94,630 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.66% of the company's stock.

Apple Hospitality REIT Trading Up 3.4%

NYSE:APLE opened at $13.61 on Wednesday. Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. has a one year low of $10.85 and a one year high of $13.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.40. The firm has a market cap of $3.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.64, a P/E/G ratio of 8.07 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $12.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.05.

Apple Hospitality REIT (NYSE:APLE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.01. Apple Hospitality REIT had a net margin of 12.08% and a return on equity of 5.41%. The firm had revenue of $337.74 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $327.81 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. will post 1.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Hospitality REIT Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 30th will be given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 30th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.1%. Apple Hospitality REIT's payout ratio is presently 129.73%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT from $13.00 to $12.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH assumed coverage on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in a report on Thursday, March 26th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $13.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $14.00 price target on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $12.64.

Apple Hospitality REIT Company Profile

Apple Hospitality REIT NYSE: APLE is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that focuses on acquiring, owning and operating high-quality, upscale, select-service hotels. The company's portfolio primarily consists of properties operated under premium franchise agreements with leading lodging brands such as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt. Apple Hospitality REIT is self-managed and internally advised, overseeing property management, revenue optimization and asset-level operations through its in-house team of hospitality professionals.

The company's holdings encompass over 200 hotels featuring more than 30,000 guest rooms across a diverse array of markets in the United States.

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