KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Sets New 12-Month Low on Analyst Downgrade

Shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $8.50 to $8.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust traded as low as $7.22 and last traded at $7.2950, with a volume of 3312331 shares. The stock had previously closed at $7.88.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on KREF. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. BTIG Research cut shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Zacks Research downgraded KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $8.25 to $8.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $10.00.

Insider Transactions at KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

In other KKR Real Estate Finance Trust news, Director Ralph F. Rosenberg sold 125,289 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.25, for a total transaction of $1,033,634.25. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting 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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KREF. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 100.0% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,450 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 1,725 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 742.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 3,658 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 3,904.6% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 4,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 4,256 shares during the period. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 64.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,732 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 2,238 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.23% of the company’s stock.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Stock Down 7.4%

The firm has a market cap of $468.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.95 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83, a quick ratio of 423.43 and a current ratio of 407.64. The business’s 50-day moving average is $8.31 and its 200-day moving average is $8.73.

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

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Announces Dividend

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

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.