Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE) Shares Sold by Strs Ohio

Strs Ohio trimmed its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE) by 29.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 175,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 72,650 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio owned about 0.08% of Apple Hospitality REIT worth $2,906,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in APLE. Raymond James & Associates raised its position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 11.8% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 99,450 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,787,000 after purchasing an additional 10,534 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE raised its position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 67.6% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 7,542 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $137,000 after purchasing an additional 3,043 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT during the 1st quarter worth approximately $366,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Apple Hospitality REIT by 55.0% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 113,977 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,048,000 after buying an additional 40,438 shares in the last quarter. 89.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Apple Hospitality REIT Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE APLE opened at $14.93 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $16.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.36. The firm has a market cap of $3.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.13 and a beta of 1.08. Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. has a 1 year low of $14.22 and a 1 year high of $17.90.

Apple Hospitality REIT Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th were paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.43%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. Apple Hospitality REIT’s payout ratio is currently 123.08%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on APLE shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Apple Hospitality REIT from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 22nd. Bank of America lowered Apple Hospitality REIT from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $19.00 to $18.00 in a report on Monday, January 8th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Apple Hospitality REIT from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, February 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.40.

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.