Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Positive Forecast for KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Stock Price

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) had its price target upped by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $6.50 to $7.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on KREF. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $6.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen lowered KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $9.00 to $7.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Citizens Jmp cut shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $8.50.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Stock Down 3.6%

Shares of KREF stock opened at $7.14 on Thursday. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a 52-week low of $5.25 and a 52-week high of $9.98. The stock has a market cap of $418.38 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.18 and a beta of 0.82. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $6.99 and its 200-day moving average is $7.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.36, a quick ratio of 407.64 and a current ratio of 407.64.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported ($0.58) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.56) by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $29.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.97 million. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust had a negative return on equity of 1.53% and a negative net margin of 47.33%. Sell-side analysts predict that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust will post -1.39 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake 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 purchasing an additional 1,725 shares in the last quarter. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100,672 shares of the company’s stock worth $828,000 after buying an additional 1,976 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 210.5% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,099 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 2,101 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in 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 valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 2,238 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 178.3% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 2,266 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.23% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target on KREF to $7.00 from $6.50, suggesting some stabilization in the outlook even though the firm kept a market perform rating. Benzinga report on price target raise
• Neutral Sentiment: KREF’s Q2 2026 earnings call highlighted ongoing efforts to navigate a difficult real estate lending environment, with management likely emphasizing balance-sheet and portfolio management rather than strong growth.
• Negative Sentiment: The company reported a quarterly loss of about $122 million, which is pressuring sentiment and reinforcing concerns about profitability. Bisnow article on sale exploration
• Negative Sentiment: News that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust is weighing a sale or merger adds uncertainty, which can weigh on the stock until investors get more clarity on the process and potential outcome. Yahoo Finance article on sale or merger options
• Negative Sentiment: Recent earnings coverage also pointed to the Q2 results as a reminder that KREF is still facing pressure from earnings weakness and a challenging credit backdrop. Yahoo Finance report on second quarter results

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.