Zacks Research Upgrades RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) to Strong-Buy

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Thursday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upped their price target on RLJ Lodging Trust from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Raymond James Financial cut shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from $9.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of RLJ Lodging Trust from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on RLJ Lodging Trust from $9.25 to $10.50 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $11.81.

RLJ Lodging Trust Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE RLJ opened at $12.61 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $1.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a current ratio of 5.71, a quick ratio of 5.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. RLJ Lodging Trust has a 12-month low of $6.68 and a 12-month high of $12.89. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $11.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.87.

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $382.99 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $370.49 million. RLJ Lodging Trust had a net margin of 2.00% and a return on equity of 1.52%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.48 EPS. RLJ Lodging Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.370-1.500 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that RLJ Lodging Trust will post 1.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RLJ Lodging Trust

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in RLJ. State of Wyoming increased its stake in shares of RLJ Lodging Trust by 51.9% during the third quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 87,545 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $967,000 after acquiring an additional 29,898 shares during the period. Choreo LLC lifted its position in RLJ Lodging Trust by 3.1% in the third quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 46,203 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $511,000 after purchasing an additional 1,387 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in RLJ Lodging Trust by 234.9% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,614 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 2,535 shares in the last quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in RLJ Lodging Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in RLJ Lodging Trust by 54.8% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,705 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 3,081 shares in the last quarter. 92.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About RLJ Lodging Trust

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE:RLJ) is a self-advised real estate investment trust that owns a portfolio of premium-branded, focused-service and compact full-service hotels. The company’s properties primarily operate under brands affiliated with Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Hyatt Hotels, among other major lodging companies.

RLJ’s hotels are generally located in urban and densely populated areas, including major business and leisure markets across the United States. The properties provide guest accommodations and related hospitality services, while independent hotel management companies typically oversee day-to-day operations.

The company was formed in 2011 and is named after Robert L.