KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Downgraded to “Neutral” Rating by BTIG Research

BTIG Research downgraded shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note released on Thursday, Marketbeat reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $9.00 price target (down previously from $9.50) on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a report on Monday, October 20th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $8.75 to $8.25 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $10.00.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Price Performance

KREF stock opened at $7.30 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $468.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.95 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 423.43, a current ratio of 407.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a 52-week low of $7.22 and a 52-week high of $11.53. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $8.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $8.73.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $32.72 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $26.06 million. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust had a negative return on equity of 1.13% and a negative net margin of 10.80%. Equities research analysts expect that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust will post 1.05 EPS for the current year.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s payout ratio is presently -95.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Ralph F. Rosenberg sold 125,289 shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.25, for a total transaction of $1,033,634.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Nomura Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in the third quarter valued at about $5,212,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 368.5% in the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 536,084 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,701,000 after purchasing an additional 421,657 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 92.2% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 841,503 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,380,000 after buying an additional 403,660 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 148.3% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 312,596 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,741,000 after buying an additional 186,687 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in the third quarter worth $1,521,000. 70.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Here are the key news stories impacting KKR Real Estate Finance Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target from $10 to $9 but kept an “overweight” rating, implying meaningful upside vs. the current share level — a supportive institutional view. Article
• Positive Sentiment: KKR’s Q4 call outlined a $1.5B repayment target and aggressive asset resolutions — moves that should strengthen the balance sheet and reduce credit risk over time. MSN: Repayment & Resolutions
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its target to $8 and rates KREF “market perform” — a muted view that signals steady but limited near-term upside. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: The Q4 2025 earnings call transcript/coverage shows revenue and EPS beats but continued negative margins and management’s evaluation of dividend policy — results that are mixed for income-focused investors. Earnings Call Transcript Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its target to $8 and set a “neutral” rating — a downgrade that removes a prior bullish catalyst and likely pressured shares. Article
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG moved from “buy” to “neutral” on KREF, reducing conviction from a prior buy recommendation. BTIG Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut KREF to a “strong sell,” a significant negative signal for sentiment and likely a contributor to intraday selling pressure. Zacks

About KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust, Inc (NYSE: KREF) is a mortgage real estate investment trust sponsored by KKR & Co Inc The company focuses on originating, acquiring, financing and managing a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate debt and real estate-related assets across the United States and select European markets.

The trust’s investment strategy is centered on lending to high-quality office, industrial, retail, multifamily and hotel properties. Its portfolio primarily consists of senior mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, floating-rate debt securities and preferred equity positions.