Shares of Ladder Capital (NYSE:LADR) received an upgrade from Wall Street Zen, shifting from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released to investors on Saturday. This adjustment comes amid a wave of recent evaluations from various equities research analysts regarding the company.
On December 1, Weiss Ratings maintained a “hold (c)” rating for Ladder Capital, while Zacks Research downgraded the stock from a “strong-buy” to a “hold” on September 30. Currently, the consensus among analysts includes one rating of Strong Buy, one Buy, and two Hold ratings. According to MarketBeat.com, Ladder Capital has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with a target price set at $12.00.
Recent Financial Performance
Ladder Capital recently announced its quarterly earnings on October 23, reporting earnings per share (EPS) of $0.25, exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.02. Despite this positive outcome, the company reported revenues of $57.44 million, falling short of analyst expectations of $62.90 million. The company’s return on equity stood at 6.70% with a net margin of 19.26%. In the same quarter last year, Ladder Capital posted an EPS of $0.30.
Looking ahead, analysts project that Ladder Capital will achieve an average EPS of 1.03 for the current fiscal year.
Dividend and Insider Transactions
In related news, Ladder Capital announced a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share, which was paid on October 15 to investors recorded as of September 30. This dividend amounts to an annualized yield of 8.4%. The company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) currently stands at 146.03%.
Additionally, insider trading activity has been noted, with Jeffrey B. Steiner, a director at Ladder Capital, selling 19,481 shares on October 27 at an average price of $10.89. This sale totaled approximately $212,148.09 and reduced his ownership stake in the company by 41.63%. Following the transaction, Steiner holds 27,311 shares valued at $297,416.79.
Institutional Investor Activity
Institutional investors are actively adjusting their positions in Ladder Capital. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new stake in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000, while Vision Financial Markets LLC also purchased a new position during the same period, valued at $35,000. CWM LLC increased its holdings by 192.4% in the second quarter, now owning 3,798 shares worth $41,000 after a purchase of an additional 2,499 shares.
Notably, Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake by 531.7% in the third quarter, bringing its total to 3,822 shares valued at $44,000. Allworth Financial LP also increased its stake by 128.6%, now holding 5,179 shares worth $57,000.
Approximately 62.25% of Ladder Capital’s stock is now owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors, reflecting a strong interest in the company’s performance and future outlook.
Ladder Capital Corp operates as an internally-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States, focusing on three key segments: Loans, Securities, and Real Estate. The Loans segment specializes in originating conduit first mortgage loans secured by cash-flowing commercial real estate and investing in balance sheet first mortgage loans for properties undergoing transition.
