RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) Short Interest Up 21.0% in January

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 12,871,779 shares, a growth of 21.0% from the January 15th total of 10,638,398 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,648,614 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 7.8 days. Currently, 8.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Currently, 8.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,648,614 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 7.8 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RLJ has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Raymond James Financial upgraded RLJ Lodging Trust from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $9.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on RLJ Lodging Trust in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $6.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $8.64.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Robin Mcbride Zeigler sold 13,413 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.51, for a total transaction of $100,731.63. Following the sale, the director 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 is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 2,721.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,470 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 3,347 shares in the last quarter. Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new position in RLJ Lodging Trust in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in RLJ Lodging Trust by 166.8% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,618 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 2,887 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in RLJ Lodging Trust during the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 55.2% during the second quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 5,258 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 1,870 shares during the last quarter. 92.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

RLJ Lodging Trust Price Performance

RLJ traded down $0.02 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $8.28. The stock had a trading volume of 383,922 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,547,497. The stock has a market cap of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 165.50 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 2.55. RLJ Lodging Trust has a one year low of $6.16 and a one year high of $9.81. The business has a 50-day moving average of $7.71 and a 200-day moving average of $7.45.

RLJ Lodging Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. RLJ Lodging Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 1,200.00%.

RLJ Lodging Trust Company Profile

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.