Apollo Commerical Finance (ARI) Soars 5.5%: Is Further Upside Left in the Stock?

Core Viewpoint - Apollo Commercial Finance (ARI) shares experienced a 5.5% increase, closing at $10.68, driven by notable trading volume and investor optimism following the company's announcement regarding its loan portfolio [1][2] Group 1: Company Developments - The company announced the disposal of its $9 billion loan portfolio to Athene for $1.4 billion in net cash and $1.7 billion in common equity repayments, which is expected to enhance balance sheet flexibility for future investments [2] - The upcoming quarterly report is expected to show a Funds From Operations (FFO) of $0.26 per share, reflecting an 18.8% decrease year-over-year, while revenues are projected to be $47.49 million, a 9.2% increase from the previous year [3] Group 2: Market Performance and Estimates - The consensus FFO per share estimate for the quarter has been revised 2% lower over the last 30 days, indicating a negative trend in FFO estimate revisions, which typically does not lead to price appreciation [4] - Apollo Commercial Finance holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), while another company in the same industry, Armour Residential REIT (ARR), has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) and has seen a 5.9% return over the past month [5][6]