Brokerages Set Ares Commercial Real Estate Co. (NYSE:ACRE) Target Price at $5.81

Shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate Co. (NYSE:ACRE) have received a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the six brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $5.81.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ACRE. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. JMP Securities restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Ares Commercial Real Estate from $6.00 to $5.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Ares Commercial Real Estate from $6.00 to $5.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from $6.00 to $5.25 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ares Commercial Real Estate

In related news, VP Anton Feingold sold 7,615 shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.68, for a total value of $43,253.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 78,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $445,084.80. The trade was a 8.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ares Commercial Real Estate

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 17.1% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,733 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $82,000 after acquiring an additional 1,711 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate by 3.9% during 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 in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Ares Commercial Real Estate by 21.5% during 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 period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in 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 valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 2,982 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CFO4Life Group LLC boosted its stake 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 valued at $100,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares during the period. 41.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Trading Down 1.8 %

Shares of ACRE stock opened at $4.70 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17. Ares Commercial Real Estate has a twelve month low of $4.61 and a twelve month high of $7.99. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $5.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.18. The stock has a market cap of $257.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.22 and a beta of 1.57.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. Ares Commercial Real Estate’s payout ratio is -92.31%.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Company Profile

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.