KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) Sets New 1-Year Low After Analyst Downgrade

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $8.50 to $8.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust traded as low as $7.22 and last traded at $7.2950, with a volume of 3312331 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $7.88.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Zacks Research lowered shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. BTIG Research cut KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $8.25 to $8.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, KKR Real Estate Finance Trust presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $10.00.

Insider Transactions at KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

In related news, Director Ralph F. Rosenberg sold 125,289 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.25, for a total value of $1,033,634.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Christen E.J. Lee acquired 10,000 shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were bought at an average price of $7.80 per share, with a total value of $78,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 229,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,787,237.40. This trade represents a 4.56% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting KKR Real Estate Finance Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target from $10 to $9 but kept an “overweight” rating, implying meaningful upside vs. the current share level — a supportive institutional view. Article
• Positive Sentiment: KKR’s Q4 call outlined a $1.5B repayment target and aggressive asset resolutions — moves that should strengthen the balance sheet and reduce credit risk over time. MSN: Repayment & Resolutions
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its target to $8 and rates KREF “market perform” — a muted view that signals steady but limited near-term upside. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: The Q4 2025 earnings call transcript/coverage shows revenue and EPS beats but continued negative margins and management’s evaluation of dividend policy — results that are mixed for income-focused investors. Earnings Call Transcript Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its target to $8 and set a “neutral” rating — a downgrade that removes a prior bullish catalyst and likely pressured shares. Article
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG moved from “buy” to “neutral” on KREF, reducing conviction from a prior buy recommendation. BTIG Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut KREF to a “strong sell,” a significant negative signal for sentiment and likely a contributor to intraday selling pressure. Zacks

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100,672 shares of the company’s stock worth $828,000 after acquiring an additional 1,976 shares during the period. Westbourne Investments Inc. increased its stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 143.9% in the fourth quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. now owns 43,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $361,000 after purchasing an additional 25,900 shares during the period. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 29.6% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 20,671 shares of the company’s stock valued at $170,000 after buying an additional 4,724 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP boosted its position in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 250.4% during the third quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 45,265 shares of the company’s stock worth $407,000 after buying an additional 32,348 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.23% of the company’s stock.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $8.31 and a 200-day moving average of $8.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83, a quick ratio of 423.43 and a current ratio of 407.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $468.92 million, a P/E ratio of -6.95 and a beta of 0.88.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $32.72 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.06 million. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust had a negative return on equity of 1.13% and a negative net margin of 10.80%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust will post 1.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently -95.24%.

About KKR Real Estate Finance Trust

KKR Real Estate Finance Trust, Inc (NYSE: KREF) is a mortgage real estate investment trust sponsored by KKR & Co Inc The company focuses on originating, acquiring, financing and managing a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate debt and real estate-related assets across the United States and select European markets.

The trust’s investment strategy is centered on lending to high-quality office, industrial, retail, multifamily and hotel properties. Its portfolio primarily consists of senior mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, floating-rate debt securities and preferred equity positions.