RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at LADENBURG THALM/SH SH

LADENBURG THALM/SH SH initiated coverage on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) in a research note published on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm issued a neutral rating and a $8.50 price objective on the real estate investment trust’s stock.

RLJ has been the subject of a number of other reports. Barclays started coverage on RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $6.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research upgraded RLJ Lodging Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, RLJ Lodging Trust presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $8.14.

RLJ Lodging Trust Price Performance

RLJ Lodging Trust stock opened at $7.72 on Thursday. RLJ Lodging Trust has a 1 year low of $6.16 and a 1 year high of $8.63. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $7.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.53. The company has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 385.75 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 2.96 and a current ratio of 2.96.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $328.59 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $317.95 million. RLJ Lodging Trust had a net margin of 2.11% and a return on equity of 1.54%. RLJ Lodging Trust’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.33 earnings per share. RLJ Lodging Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.210-1.410 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.37 earnings per share for the current year.

RLJ Lodging Trust 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.8%. RLJ Lodging Trust’s dividend payout ratio is 3,000.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On RLJ Lodging Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. increased its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 23.1% during the fourth quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 13,140,744 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $97,899,000 after acquiring an additional 2,463,189 shares during the last quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in RLJ Lodging Trust in the fourth quarter valued at about $13,254,000. Aegis Financial Corp acquired a new stake in RLJ Lodging Trust during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $9,475,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in RLJ Lodging Trust by 286.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,618,413 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $11,783,000 after purchasing an additional 1,199,318 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 179.5% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,434,974 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $10,447,000 after purchasing an additional 921,548 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.35% of the company’s stock.

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.