Short Interest in Ladder Capital Corp (NYSE:LADR) Decreases By 17.8%

Ladder Capital Corp (NYSE:LADR) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 862,800 shares, a decrease of 17.8% from the February 13th total of 1,050,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 581,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.5 days. Currently, 0.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Ladder Capital Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE:LADR traded up $0.04 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $11.63. 395,009 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 585,951. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 38.96 and a current ratio of 38.96. Ladder Capital has a 12-month low of $10.21 and a 12-month high of $12.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.48 billion, a PE ratio of 13.52 and a beta of 1.91. The business has a 50-day moving average of $11.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.54.

Ladder Capital (NYSE:LADR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.29 by ($0.04). Ladder Capital had a net margin of 21.36% and a return on equity of 8.77%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ladder Capital will post 1.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ladder Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.91%. Ladder Capital’s dividend payout ratio is currently 106.98%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LADR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on Ladder Capital from $13.00 to $12.75 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. B. Riley upgraded Ladder Capital to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Ladder Capital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ladder Capital presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $13.29.

Institutional Trading of Ladder Capital

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LADR. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ladder Capital by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,640,319 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $19,028,000 after purchasing an additional 15,938 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Ladder Capital by 13,513.5% in the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 7,079 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 7,027 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Ladder Capital by 1.6% in the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 6,767,687 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $78,505,000 after purchasing an additional 108,079 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ladder Capital during the third quarter valued at $344,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Ladder Capital by 0.3% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,633,075 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $18,944,000 after purchasing an additional 4,282 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.25% of the company’s stock.

Ladder Capital Company Profile

Ladder Capital Corp operates as an internally-managed real estate investment trust in the United States. It operates through three segments: Loans, Securities, and Real Estate. The Loans segment originates conduit first mortgage loans that are secured by cash-flowing commercial real estate; and originates and invests in balance sheet first mortgage loans secured by commercial real estate properties that are undergoing transition, including lease-up, sell-out, and renovation or repositioning.