Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE:ARI) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE:ARI) by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 601,074 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 45,235 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance were worth $5,524,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC raised its stake in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 65.9% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 329,462 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $3,028,000 after acquiring an additional 130,892 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 619.3% during the third quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 87,163 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $801,000 after purchasing an additional 75,046 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 139.4% during the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 302,388 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $2,779,000 after purchasing an additional 176,101 shares in the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 1.1% in the third quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 578,210 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $5,314,000 after purchasing an additional 6,200 shares during the period. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co bought a new position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in the 3rd quarter valued at about $143,000. 54.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on ARI shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group cut their target price on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $10.00 to $9.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $9.50 to $8.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $9.63.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Stock Down 1.1 %

NYSE ARI opened at $8.66 on Thursday. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. has a 12 month low of $8.52 and a 12 month high of $12.00. The company has a market capitalization of $1.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.41 and a beta of 1.75. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $9.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 46.13 and a quick ratio of 46.13.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.55%. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently -108.70%.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Profile

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) that originates, acquires, invests in, and manages commercial first mortgage loans, subordinate financings, and other commercial real estate-related debt investments in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.