Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Ares Commercial Real Estate (NYSE:ACRE) Stock Price

Ares Commercial Real Estate (NYSE:ACRE) had its price target decreased by investment analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $5.50 to $4.50 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “market perform” rating on the real estate investment trust’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price target indicates a potential upside of 24.83% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on ACRE. StockNews.com raised Ares Commercial Real Estate from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. UBS Group cut their target price on Ares Commercial Real Estate from $6.00 to $5.25 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of 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, JMP Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $5.56.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Price Performance

ACRE opened at $3.61 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $4.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $5.99. Ares Commercial Real Estate has a fifty-two week low of $3.57 and a fifty-two week high of $7.99. The firm has a market cap of $197.76 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.55 and a beta of 1.22.

Insider Activity at Ares Commercial Real Estate

In other news, VP Anton Feingold sold 7,615 shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.68, for a total transaction of $43,253.20. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 78,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $445,084.80. This trade represents a 8.86 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ares Commercial Real Estate

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Summit Securities Group LLC raised its position in Ares Commercial Real Estate by 139.7% in the fourth quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 6,700 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 3,905 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 211.0% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,741 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 5,252 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC acquired a new stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate during the fourth quarter worth approximately $69,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 1,711 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.