Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:ACRE) Receives Consensus Rating of “Reduce” from Analysts

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:ACRE) has earned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the six ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $5.3333.

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Ares Commercial Real Estate from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Ares Commercial Real Estate from $5.50 to $6.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Zacks Research cut shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in a report on Monday, December 29th.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Trading Down 1.8%

NYSE ACRE opened at $5.19 on Friday. Ares Commercial Real Estate has a 1-year low of $3.35 and a 1-year high of $5.89. The company has a market capitalization of $287.08 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -259.25, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.26. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $5.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.83.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.6%. Ares Commercial Real Estate’s payout ratio is -3,000.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Anton Feingold sold 7,606 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.93, for a total transaction of $37,497.58. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 92,754 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $457,277.22. This trade represents a 7.58% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Bryan Patrick Donohoe sold 21,761 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.93, for a total transaction of $107,281.73. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 250,197 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,233,471.21. The trade was a 8.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 35,585 shares of company stock worth $175,434 in the last three months. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 456.0% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 6,033 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 4,948 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in Ares Commercial Real Estate by 94.3% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 6,997 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 3,396 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate during the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Ares Commercial Real Estate by 100.3% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 10,367 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 5,192 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio bought a new position in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in the 1st quarter valued at about $47,000. 41.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Ares Commercial Real Estate

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE: ACRE) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) primarily focused on commercial real estate debt investments. Externally managed by an affiliate of Ares Management Corporation, ACRE seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns through its diversified portfolio of CRE financing strategies. The company specializes in originating, acquiring, financing and managing first mortgages, mezzanine loans, preferred equity and other structured finance products.

Since its inception, Ares Commercial Real Estate has targeted a broad range of property types, including multifamily, office, industrial, retail and hospitality assets.