Blue Trust Inc. Has $130,000 Stock Holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE)

Blue Trust Inc. lessened its stake in Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE) by 27.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,496 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 3,220 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT were worth $130,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 385,735 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $5,956,000 after purchasing an additional 4,005 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in Apple Hospitality REIT by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 43,180 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $663,000 after acquiring an additional 4,001 shares during the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Apple Hospitality REIT during the fourth quarter worth approximately $159,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Apple Hospitality REIT during the fourth quarter worth approximately $343,000. Finally, Advisors Preferred LLC acquired a new stake in Apple Hospitality REIT during the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,651,000. 89.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Apple Hospitality REIT Stock Down 3.2 %

Shares of NYSE APLE opened at $14.79 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The company has a market cap of $3.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.39 and a beta of 1.13. Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. has a 12 month low of $13.60 and a 12 month high of $16.99. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $15.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $15.11.

Apple Hospitality REIT Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.49%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Apple Hospitality REIT’s dividend payout ratio is 112.94%.

About Apple Hospitality REIT

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.