RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) Receives $9.08 Average Target Price from Brokerages

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) has earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the ten brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $8.6429.

RLJ has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Monday, December 29th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $7.50 price target (down previously from $9.00) on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Barclays began coverage on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research report on Tuesday. They set an “underweight” rating and a $6.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research cut RLJ Lodging Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised RLJ Lodging Trust from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $9.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 12th.

RLJ Lodging Trust Stock Up 1.2%

RLJ Lodging Trust stock opened at $7.78 on Friday. RLJ Lodging Trust has a one year low of $6.16 and a one year high of $10.24. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $7.48 and a 200 day moving average of $7.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 2.55. The stock has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a PE ratio of 155.50 and a beta of 1.13.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $330.05 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $326.13 million. RLJ Lodging Trust had a return on equity of 1.78% and a net margin of 2.48%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.40 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.37 EPS for the current year.

RLJ Lodging Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.7%. RLJ Lodging Trust’s payout ratio is 1,200.00%.

Insider Transactions at RLJ Lodging Trust

In related news, Director Robin Mcbride Zeigler sold 13,413 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.51, for a total value of $100,731.63. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 37,159 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $279,064.09. This represents a 26.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 192.4% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 2,782,181 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $21,951,000 after buying an additional 1,830,803 shares during the last quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. grew its stake in RLJ Lodging Trust by 28.3% during the second quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 7,423,055 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $54,040,000 after acquiring an additional 1,637,942 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust by 286.2% in 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 acquiring an additional 1,199,318 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in 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 worth $10,447,000 after purchasing an additional 921,548 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 33.3% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,042,014 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $21,903,000 after purchasing an additional 759,913 shares during the last quarter. 92.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.