RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) Shares Cross Above 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ)’s stock price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $7.43 and traded as high as $7.69. RLJ Lodging Trust shares last traded at $7.5950, with a volume of 1,417,763 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on RLJ shares. Barclays began coverage on RLJ Lodging Trust in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $6.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of RLJ Lodging Trust to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $7.50 target price (down from $9.00) on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $8.64.

RLJ Lodging Trust Price Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $7.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $7.43. The company has a market cap of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 151.90 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 2.55, a current ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $330.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $326.13 million. RLJ Lodging Trust had a return on equity of 1.78% and a net margin of 2.48%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.40 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.37 EPS for the current year.

RLJ Lodging Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. RLJ Lodging Trust’s dividend payout ratio is 1,200.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at RLJ Lodging Trust

In related news, Director Robin Mcbride Zeigler sold 13,413 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.51, for a total value of $100,731.63. Following the sale, the director owned 37,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $279,064.09. The trade was a 26.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RLJ Lodging Trust

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 2,721.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,470 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 3,347 shares during the period. Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new stake in RLJ Lodging Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in RLJ Lodging Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. KBC Group NV grew its stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 55.2% in the second quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 5,258 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 1,870 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust during the third quarter worth $50,000. 92.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.