RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• RLJ Lodging Trust shares moved above their 200-day moving average, reaching $11.23 and last trading near $11.07, compared with a 200-day average of $10.12.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: the stock has an average “Reduce” rating, with one Buy, six Holds and three Sells, and an average price target of $11.22.
• RLJ reported quarterly EPS of $0.52, well above the $0.15 consensus estimate, and announced a $0.15 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 5.4% annualized yield.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $10.12 and traded as high as $11.23. RLJ Lodging Trust shares last traded at $11.0660, with a volume of 2,487,602 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RLJ has been the subject of a number of research reports. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH lifted their price objective on RLJ Lodging Trust from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded RLJ Lodging Trust from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, June 7th. Bank of America increased their target price on RLJ Lodging Trust from $9.25 to $10.50 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and set a $13.00 price target (up from $10.00) on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $11.22.

RLJ Lodging Trust Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 5.71, a quick ratio of 5.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The company's 50 day moving average is $11.39 and its 200-day moving average is $10.12. The company has a market capitalization of $1.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.78 and a beta of 1.08.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $382.99 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $370.49 million. RLJ Lodging Trust had a net margin of 2.00% and a return on equity of 1.52%. RLJ Lodging Trust's revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.48 EPS. RLJ Lodging Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.370-1.500 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

RLJ Lodging Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th.

Institutional Trading of RLJ Lodging Trust

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 29.8% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,992 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 1,374 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming boosted its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 12.3% during the first quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 17,904 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $133,000 after buying an additional 1,963 shares during the last quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 7.9% during the first quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 66,813 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $502,000 after buying an additional 4,891 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC increased its holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust by 11.0% in the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 68,998 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $512,000 after buying an additional 6,836 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 230,000 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,714,000 after buying an additional 7,000 shares in the last quarter. 92.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About RLJ Lodging Trust

RLJ Lodging Trust is a self-managed real estate investment trust that owns and operates a portfolio of premium-branded, focused-service and compact full-service hotels in the United States. Its properties are generally located in urban and high-barrier-to-entry suburban markets, with an emphasis on business, leisure and other demand-generating locations.

The company's hotels operate under well-known brands, including offerings affiliated with Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.