RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• RLJ raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to 1.29–1.45 (vs. consensus ~1.22) after reporting a strong Q1 beat of $0.33 EPS (consensus -$0.07) and $339.98M revenue (consensus $323.51M), signaling operating momentum.
• Management announced a new share buyback and the company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.15 (annualized $0.60), representing a 7.2% yield, which is a near‑term shareholder‑friendly move.
• Key risks remain: the REIT is levered (debt‑to‑equity ~1.21), has low ROE/net margins and a high P/E (~415.8), leaving it sensitive to rates, and analysts' consensus is a Hold with an $8.00 target.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ - Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.290-1.450 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.220. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

RLJ Lodging Trust Stock Up 0.2%

RLJ opened at $8.32 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 415.75 and a beta of 1.09. The business has a 50-day moving average of $7.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $7.62. RLJ Lodging Trust has a 12 month low of $6.54 and a 12 month high of $8.63.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.40. RLJ Lodging Trust had a net margin of 2.11% and a return on equity of 1.54%. The business had revenue of $339.98 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $323.51 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.31 EPS. The company's revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.22 earnings per share for the current year.

RLJ Lodging Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.2%. RLJ Lodging Trust's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3,000.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Zacks Research raised RLJ Lodging Trust from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Monday, April 20th. Barclays began coverage on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $6.00 price target for the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH began coverage on RLJ Lodging Trust in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $8.50 price objective for the company. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on RLJ Lodging Trust from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. One 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $8.00.

Key RLJ Lodging Trust News

Here are the key news stories impacting RLJ Lodging Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat — RLJ reported FFO/EPS of $0.33 and revenue of ~$340M, topping consensus and showing year‑over‑year growth in comparable RevPAR and hotel EBITDA. Investors see the quarter as proof of operating momentum. Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY‑2026 guidance — Management raised full‑year EPS guidance to a range above Street expectations (company-provided 1.29–1.45 vs. consensus ~1.22), signaling confidence in ongoing recovery and cash flow. Guidance Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Share buyback added — Management announced a new buyback program (discussed in post‑earnings coverage), which supports EPS and is a direct shareholder‑friendly action. This is a near‑term tailwind for the stock. Buyback & Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: RevPAR and non‑room revenue initiatives — RLJ nudged up RevPAR expectations and emphasized growing ancillary revenue (F&B, meetings, other services), which can expand margins if trends hold. RevPAR Forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call & materials available — Full transcript and slide deck provide color on rate mix, group trends and capex plans; useful for owners evaluating sustainability of the beat. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation takeaways — Recent coverage revisits valuation after the quarter and buyback; some analysts see upside if guidance is sustained, others note REIT metrics make valuation sensitive to rate expectations. Valuation Note
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term caution flagged — Some analysts (e.g., Seeking Alpha piece) caution that near‑term performance could be uneven and that upside depends on continued demand and corporate/group recovery. Cautious Short Term
• Negative Sentiment: Balance‑sheet & profitability considerations — Despite operational gains, RLJ shows low ROE/net margins and levered capitalization (debt/equity ~1.2). That makes the REIT sensitive to interest rates or slower demand recovery. Financial Metrics

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RLJ Lodging Trust

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in RLJ. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust by 2,721.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,470 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 3,347 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 166.8% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,618 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 2,887 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust during the 4th quarter valued at $51,000. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth bought a new stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust during the 3rd quarter worth $73,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.35% of the company's stock.

About RLJ Lodging Trust

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.

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.