Ares Commercial Real Estate (NYSE:ACRE) Price Target Raised to $5.00

Ares Commercial Real Estate (NYSE:ACRE - Free Report) had its price objective increased by UBS Group from $3.75 to $5.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the real estate investment trust's stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from $6.00 to $5.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from $5.50 to $4.50 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in a research report on Monday, April 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $5.50.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Stock Performance

ACRE stock traded down $0.05 on Wednesday, reaching $4.53. 599,192 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 567,821. Ares Commercial Real Estate has a 12 month low of $3.35 and a 12 month high of $7.99. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $4.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $5.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $248.90 million, a PE ratio of -6.96 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 13.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. Ares Commercial Real Estate's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -240.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ares Commercial Real Estate

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 50,424 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $297,000 after purchasing an additional 1,905 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 21.5% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 16,635 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $98,000 after purchasing an additional 2,943 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 73,116 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $431,000 after purchasing an additional 2,982 shares during the last quarter. CFO4Life Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 21.4% in the 4th quarter. CFO4Life Group LLC now owns 17,000 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 13.0% in the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 27,859 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $164,000 after purchasing an additional 3,215 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 41.34% of the company's stock.

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.