RLJ Lodging Trust $RLJ Holdings Lifted by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) by 1,871.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 201,603 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 191,377 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.13% of RLJ Lodging Trust worth $1,452,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in RLJ. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 2,721.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,470 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 3,347 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV grew its position in RLJ Lodging Trust by 55.2% in the second quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 5,258 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 1,870 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust in the second quarter valued at $76,000. Captrust Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at $93,000. Finally, Belvedere Trading LLC acquired a new stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at $125,000. Institutional investors own 92.35% of the company’s stock.

RLJ Lodging Trust Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE RLJ opened at $8.29 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.55, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. 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 price of $7.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $7.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 165.80 and a beta of 1.12.

RLJ Lodging Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. RLJ Lodging Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently 1,200.00%.

Insider Transactions at RLJ Lodging Trust

In other news, Director Robin Mcbride Zeigler sold 13,413 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director directly owned 37,159 shares in the company, valued at $279,064.09. The trade was a 26.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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.