Ares Commercial Real Estate Co. (NYSE:ACRE) CEO Bryan Patrick Donohoe Purchases 3,509 Shares

Ares Commercial Real Estate Co. (NYSE:ACRE) CEO Bryan Patrick Donohoe bought 3,509 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Sunday, March 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $14.32 per share, for a total transaction of $50,248.88. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 41,259 shares in the company, valued at $590,828.88. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Bryan Patrick Donohoe also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, January 30th, Bryan Patrick Donohoe sold 18,868 shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.32, for a total transaction of $194,717.76.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Price Performance

Shares of ACRE opened at $7.19 on Friday. Ares Commercial Real Estate Co. has a fifty-two week low of $7.07 and a fifty-two week high of $11.24. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $8.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $9.28. The company has a market cap of $391.03 million, a P/E ratio of -9.98 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.42.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 13.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. Ares Commercial Real Estate’s payout ratio is currently -138.89%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ares Commercial Real Estate

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACRE. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Mango Five Family Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate by 190.9% in the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 9,138 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $83,000 after purchasing an additional 5,997 shares during the last quarter. 41.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on ACRE shares. Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $7.00 target price (down from $11.00) on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate in a report on Monday, March 4th. TheStreet lowered shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from a “c-” rating to a “d+” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 5th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from $10.50 to $8.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from $9.50 to $8.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate from $10.25 to $8.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $9.00.

About Ares Commercial Real Estate

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation, a specialty finance company, originates and invests in commercial real estate (CRE) loans and related investments in the United States. It provides a range of financing solutions for the owners, operators, and sponsors of CRE properties. The company originates senior mortgage loans, subordinate debt and preferred equity products, mezzanine loans, and other CRE investments, including commercial mortgage-backed securities.