22,350 Shares in Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE) Bought by Empowered Funds LLC

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 22,350 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $343,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 16,212 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 921 shares during the last quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 4.6% in the third quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC now owns 21,383 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $318,000 after buying an additional 948 shares during the last quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 169,222 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,513,000 after acquiring an additional 1,105 shares in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 14.6% during the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 11,727 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $174,000 after acquiring an additional 1,490 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 30.0% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 7,932 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $118,000 after acquiring an additional 1,831 shares in the last quarter. 89.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Apple Hospitality REIT Stock Performance

NYSE APLE opened at $15.26 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $15.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.10. Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. has a 52-week low of $13.60 and a 52-week high of $16.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 0.04 and a quick ratio of 0.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.95 and a beta of 1.13.

Apple Hospitality REIT Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.29%. Apple Hospitality REIT’s dividend payout ratio is 112.94%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APLE has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Apple Hospitality REIT from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $18.00 target price (up from $17.00) on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Apple Hospitality REIT from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $16.00 to $17.00 in a report on Monday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in a report on Monday, December 9th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Apple Hospitality REIT from $17.00 to $16.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $16.80.

Apple Hospitality REIT Profile

Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc (NYSE: APLE) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of upscale, rooms-focused hotels in the United States. Apple Hospitality's portfolio consists of 223 hotels with more than 29,400 guest rooms located in 87 markets throughout 37 states as well as one property leased to third parties.