Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation — Cyborg Score 4/10
Mixed
Commercial Real Estate Financing / Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)
Strategic Profile
Externally managed by an affiliate of Ares Management Corporation, ACRE seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns through originating, acquiring, financing and managing first mortgages, mezzanine loans, preferred equity and other structured finance products. The REIT has been growing new loan originations while reducing exposure to office properties to manage risk amid ongoing uncertainty in the office market.
Cyborg Score Rationale
The company has received a consensus "Reduce" rating from six research firms, with two sell ratings, three hold ratings, and one buy rating. Recent Q4 2025 results showed negative earnings and a negative net margin of 13.02%. However, strategic portfolio diversification away from office properties and growth in new loan originations demonstrate proactive risk management.
Top Insights
Consensus research rating is "Reduce" with mixed analyst sentiment (2 sell, 3 hold, 1 buy)
Market capitalization of approximately $287 million with challenging valuations (P/E ratio of -259.25)
Offers high dividend yield of 11.5% but maintains high payout ratio and portfolio concentration risk
Portfolio shift toward multifamily, industrial, retail and hospitality while reducing office exposure demonstrates proactive risk management in uncertain CRE environment
Named Competitors
Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance — Commercial mortgage lender and REIT
KKR Real Estate Finance Trust — Real estate debt investment platform
Granite Point Mortgage Trust — Commercial mortgage REIT
Recent Developments
(February 2026) Q4 2025 earnings released; company reported negative EPS of -$0.07, missing consensus estimates
(February 2026) Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded stock to "outperform" with $6.00 price target, citing fee-driven model potential
(January 2026) CFO and CEO sold shares; insider activity shows 6.56% and 8.00% position decreases respectively
(February 2026) Zacks Research downgraded from "strong-buy" to "hold" citing heightened market and liquidity risks
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