Ladder Capital Corp (NYSE:LADR) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Ladder Capital Corp (NYSE:LADR) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 2,596,865 shares, a growth of 31.0% from the February 26th total of 1,981,639 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 683,494 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.8 days. Approximately 2.3% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Ladder Capital Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LADR traded down $0.22 during trading on Friday, reaching $9.70. The company had a trading volume of 1,058,560 shares, compared to its average volume of 842,106. Ladder Capital has a fifty-two week low of $9.67 and a fifty-two week high of $11.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.37, a current ratio of 29.65 and a quick ratio of 29.65. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $10.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.00.

Ladder Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Ladder Capital’s payout ratio is currently 180.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on LADR shares. HSBC set a $13.00 target price on Ladder Capital in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. B. Riley Financial assumed coverage on Ladder Capital in a research note on Monday, January 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $13.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research downgraded Ladder Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, February 16th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ladder Capital from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Ladder Capital in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $12.92.

Institutional Trading of Ladder Capital

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ladder Capital by 63.8% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,390 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 931 shares in the last quarter. Capital Square LLC increased its stake in shares of Ladder Capital by 1.2% during the third quarter. Capital Square LLC now owns 80,894 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $883,000 after acquiring an additional 986 shares during the period. Seven Mile Advisory raised its holdings in Ladder Capital by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Seven Mile Advisory now owns 25,719 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $283,000 after purchasing an additional 992 shares in the last quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC lifted its position in Ladder Capital by 3.1% in the second quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC now owns 33,835 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $364,000 after purchasing an additional 1,008 shares during the period. Finally, HB Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ladder Capital by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,623 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $192,000 after purchasing an additional 1,082 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.25% of the company’s stock.

Ladder Capital Company Profile

Ladder Capital Corp (NYSE: LADR) is a publicly traded commercial real estate finance company structured as a real estate investment trust. The firm specializes in originating, acquiring and managing a diversified portfolio of commercial mortgage loans, subordinate financings such as mezzanine loans and B-notes, and equity investments. In addition to direct lending activities, Ladder Capital invests in and manages commercial mortgage‐backed securities (CMBS) and commercial real estate collateralized loan obligations (CRE CLOs), providing financing across a range of property types including office, retail, multifamily, industrial and hospitality assets.

Since its inception in 2008, Ladder Capital has developed a platform that supports both balance-sheet lending and structured securitization.