RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) Stock Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• RLJ crossed above its 200-day moving average, trading as high as $8.33 and last at $8.03 versus a 200-day MA of $7.56 (50-day $7.85), a technical move some traders may view as a short-term bullish signal.
• The Street's consensus is a Hold with an average target of $8.00 and mixed ratings (1 Strong Buy, 1 Buy, 4 Hold, 3 Sell); recent price targets range roughly from $6.00 to $8.50.
• Operationally RLJ beat Q4 EPS and revenue and issued FY2026 EPS guidance of 1.210–1.410, but investors should note a 7.5% dividend yield

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $7.56 and traded as high as $8.33. RLJ Lodging Trust shares last traded at $8.0340, with a volume of 1,213,940 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Zacks Research raised RLJ Lodging Trust from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Barclays initiated coverage on RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. They set an "underweight" rating and a $6.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price target on RLJ Lodging Trust from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH initiated coverage on RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Thursday, March 26th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $8.50 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $8.00.

RLJ Lodging Trust Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $1.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 401.70 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 2.96 and a quick ratio of 2.96. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $7.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $7.56.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $328.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $317.95 million. RLJ Lodging Trust had a return on equity of 1.54% and a net margin of 2.11%.The business's quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.33 earnings per share. RLJ Lodging Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.210-1.410 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

RLJ Lodging Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.5%. RLJ Lodging Trust's dividend payout ratio is presently 3,000.00%.

Institutional Trading of RLJ Lodging Trust

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RLJ. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec raised its position in RLJ Lodging Trust by 17.8% in the 4th quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 10,972 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $82,000 after buying an additional 1,661 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming increased its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 23.6% during the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 9,120 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,741 shares during the last quarter. M&G PLC increased its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 24,355 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $170,000 after purchasing an additional 1,845 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG increased its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 181,568 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,353,000 after purchasing an additional 2,453 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 110,434 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $795,000 after purchasing an additional 2,863 shares during the last quarter. 92.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

RLJ Lodging Trust Company Profile

RLJ Lodging Trust is a self-managed, publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, owns and operates premium-branded, focused-service and compact full-service hotels. The company's portfolio is concentrated in major U.S. markets, targeting properties that benefit from strong corporate and leisure demand, limited new supply and established brand affiliations.

The trust's hotels are affiliated with leading global lodging brands across the spectrum of service levels, including lifestyle and upscale segments.

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