Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) has affirmed the ratings of the following non-bank commercial real estate (CRE) lenders and changed their outlooks to negative from stable: Ladder Capital Corp (Ba1 corporate family rating (CFR)), Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (Ba2 CFR), Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (Ba2 CFR), Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (Ba3 CFR), Claros Mortgage Trust, Inc (Ba3 CFR) and LoanCore Capital Markets LLC (B1 CFR). The rapid and widening spread of the coronavirus outbreak and falling oil prices have led to a severe and extensive credit shock across many sectors, regions and markets.

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE: BXMT) ("BXMT") announced today that its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") will be held as a virtual-only meeting on the previously announced date and time of Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time in light of the public health impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. BXMT intends to return to an in-person format for future annual meetings of stockholders.

Good day, and welcome everyone to the Blackstone Mortgage Trust First Quarter 2020 Investor Call. Thank you, and good morning, everyone, and welcome to Blackstone Mortgage Trust's first quarter conference call.

Blackstone Mortgage (BXMT) delivered earnings and revenue surprises of 3.23% and -4.90%, respectively, for the quarter ended March 2020. Do the numbers hold clues to what lies ahead for the stock?

More loans, more profits and (eventually) more dividends are the playbook for our generous payer Blackstone Mortgage Trust (BXMT), asserts Brett Owens, editor of Contrarian Outlook.

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE: BXMT) declared a dividend of $0.62 per share of class A common stock with respect to the first quarter of 2020. This dividend is payable on April 15, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 31, 2020.

Blackstone Mortgage (BXMT) delivered earnings and revenue surprises of 7.94% and 3.40%, respectively, for the quarter ended December 2019. Do the numbers hold clues to what lies ahead for the stock?

The broad market indices are going down. But that doesn't mean the entire market is headed down with them.First, it pays to remember in times like these, that the big indices are price weighted. That means the higher the price of the stock, the more it affects the movement of the index.Sometimes, one high-priced Dow Jones Industrial Average stock can drive the entire index down. Or up.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThat's why looking at the indices is helpful, like looking out the window to check the weather. It's a snapshot.But if you want winners, you have to dig deeper. And when the markets are down like they are now, if you can find the right stocks it's a great time to grab them. They're stocks that will perform if things get worse, or when they get better. * 10 Stocks to Buy for Your 10-Year-Old The seven ideal stocks to buy for cautious investors are all A-rated by my Portfolio Grader tool I use to find Growth Investor plays -- even now. Stocks to Buy: B Riley Financial (RILY)Source: Pavel Kapysh / Shutterstock.com B Riley Financial (NASDAQ:RILY) is an interesting company because it is built to take advantage of both good and bad markets.It has a few divisions and they are either interconnected or operate siloed. One piece provides private equity to small- and midsize-firms in the U.S. market. The second provides auction and liquidation services to companies. And the third is a valuation and appraisal unit that larger financial institutions can hire to figure out the value of properties they are interested in buying or shutting down.For example, a retailer may want to expand from its one store to a handful of stores in various states. RILY funds them. Then, say that the U.S.-China trade war was hurting the retailer's sales.RILY would step in with its valuation unit and look for ways to sort out the issue. If it can't find a viable path forward, it would arrange to wind the business down and auction off the goods and properties.Each division has specific upside in both good and bad markets. And it was built via acquisitions precisely for this purpose.The stock is up 37% in the past 12 months and offers a 2.9% dividend. It should stay plenty busy moving forward. Hercules Capital (HTGC)Source: Shutterstock Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) is a company similar to RILY in that it offers private equity to firms. The difference is that Hercules focuses on tech, life sciences and renewable energy companies.It's an alternative financial company, meaning it will fund projects that may not meet the criteria traditional banks would have for lending. Many of these firms popped up after the financial crisis in 2008, but HTGC has been around since 2003, funding Silicon Valley startups in the wake of the burst tech bubble.It now has a $1.6 billion market capitalization and strong reputation in the industry. Unlike RILY, HTGC's sole focus is as an alt-lender. But this is a growing sector, since these firms don't have all the regulation that traditional financial institutions have.That means they can create better deals and have more wiggle room on terms, which is a very attractive option for young firms. And those new startups are popping up left and right. Going forward, they'll be fueled by a huge technological innovation whose name you've probably heard -- but not its magnitude.The stock has a huge dividend, currently paying 8.8%. Blackstone Mortgage Trust (BXMT)Source: Isabelle OHara / Shutterstock.com Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE:BXMT) is set up as a real estate investment trust (REIT), but it doesn't own properties. It originates the senior debt on commercial properties. From those deals it generates net income that it pays to investors as dividends.REITs were on a tear until late in 2019, but now picking them is more selective. And BXMT is one that still has strong potential moving forward.This isn't about speculating on real estate values, it's about buying into an expanding economy.While the coronavirus from China may slow growth for a quarter or two, the fact is, the U.S. economy is still the strongest in the world. And that means other countries are buying into solid stocks that are built for the long term. That's BXMT.The stock is up 5% in the past 12 months, but it also has a reliable 6.7% dividend on top of that performance. Ball (BLL)Source: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com Ball (NYSE:BLL) has been around since 1880. While you might think that the company makes Ball jars, that's no longer the case.It has licensed its name and that particular product line for decades.Ironically, it now makes cans. And it has for many, many years. It also has an aerospace division.As for the can business, think about walking the aisles of your grocery store. There are a lot of cans there. And they're not going away. This chunk of business may not be a massive growth engine, but it's a solid revenue generator. And it's a global leader. Almost all the cans in Brazil are made by Ball.During World War II Ball thought it might be a good idea to diversify its business lines and got involved in the war effort, especially in its aftermath when the Cold War ramped up.Ball is now a significant player in the expanding C4ISR mission of the military.The stock is up 26% in the past year and has a 0.8% dividend. And I've got more where that came from. Hershey (HSY)Source: George Sheldon / Shutterstock.com Hershey (NYSE:HSY) should be a recognizable name to anyone who has lived in the U.S. for the past decade or more. It is one of the leading confectioners in the U.S. and around the world.But it's more than Hershey's chocolate, Reese's, Kit Kats and Twizzlers. It has also branched out to healthier alternatives as well. It now owns SkinnyPop and Pirate's Booty among its other 80 brands.The company has been around since 1894 and is still headquartered just outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in -- of course -- Hershey, Pennsylvania. It has an amusement park there as well. And given its central location in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, it has a constant flow of soccer, lacrosse and other sporting tournaments going all year long.HSY stock has a $31 billion market cap, so it's not a little confectioner. This is a major company but it has a strong social conscience and prefers to be responsible about its growth and sustainable as a corporation.The stock is up 30% in the past year and it offers a dividend just a hair over 2%. L3Harris (LHX)Source: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com L3Harris (NYSE:LHX) is a newly merged company that combines two of the United States' top companies that are focused on defense and aerospace technologies.They both have decades of experience when it comes to everything from secure handheld telecoms equipment to satellite and cyber defense tech.As the world looks to space for its next-level opportunities, it's companies like LHX that will be go-to partners with not only governments, but also private companies that are now in the Space Race. This industry is going to grow significantly in the coming decade.By combining, LHX has become a major player in this sector and it can now garner much more work than it did when both competed against each other or each won a piece of the same contracts.It now sports a $45 billion market cap and is a major player in its own right. The stock is up 21% in the past 12 months and it has a 1.5% dividend. While LHX is a more unique telecom company, everyone in that industry has a fire lit under them by the latest tech breakthrough powering ultrafast wireless speeds -- and great investments now. Zoetis (ZTS)Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) has been around since 1952 and it specializes in making animal health medicines and vaccines.Before this coronavirus hit, the big story was the African swine fever that was running wild in China, killing more than half its pigs. It is so virulent that any pig that tests positive is slaughtered.This sent pork prices sky high in China and it was having a real effect on the economy, slowing growth and raising inflation.Although the story has changed from ASF, it's still a real issue. And many similar diseases are out there. ZTS has been working on an ASF vaccine for over a year now, so you can imagine the potential.We see what happens to biotech stocks when they announce they may have a vaccine for the coronavirus, which most reports say kills less than 3% of those who contract it.Viruses are productivity issues and that makes them economic issues. ZTS may be a new name to you, but it has a $64 billion market cap. That goes to show that institutional investors know how important its business is.The stock is up 40% in the past year and has a small, 0.7% dividend.Soon, however, "cautious" investing won't be the buzzword. Bullish trends are about to come back into play, both economic and logistical, like fund managers performing end-of-quarter "window dressing" -- so don't be surprised to see everyone jump back on the bandwagon of growth investing. Those of us in the know can lay our own groundwork now -- and here's a great place to start: The 5G Buildout Is an Incredible Opportunity for Investors Right NowWithin two years, most cell phones will be 5G enabled and be able to wirelessly handle television streaming. With 5G, we'll have cable modem speeds on any device; no need to plug in. That's a big deal for rural areas … the very same areas that are also key to President Donald Trump's reelection. So, by pushing 5G over the goal line, Trump will deliver a big win for his base -- and strike a blow against Chinese rivals like Huawei Technologies.But, in the big picture, 5G is about much more than trade wars and faster downloads. Because 5G is 100 times faster than 4G, it'll allow your internet devices to work in real time. That advancement is a game changer for tech companies.With the 5G infrastructure market set to grow at an annual rate of 67% over the next 10 years, the entire market will go from $780 million to nearly $48 billion. This buildout is where I see opportunity with 5G stocks now.Cable companies can do their best to fight back with fiber optics … but they can't compete with the convenience of a smartphone, once it's got ultra-fast 5G. That's how my 5G infrastructure play will capture more market share from the broadband cable companies.The stock I'm targeting is enjoying an influx of big money on Wall Street, and it has strong fundamentals, too -- making it an A-rated "Strong Buy" in my Portfolio Grader system.Click here to watch my new, free briefing on this extraordinary technology and the opportunity with 5G stocks.When you do, you'll see how to claim a free copy of my new investment report, The Netflix of 5G, which has full details on this company -- and what makes it such a great buy now.Louis Navellier had an unconventional start, as a grad student who accidentally built a market-beating stock system -- with returns rivaling even Warren Buffett. In one recent feat, Louis discovered the "Master Key" to profiting from the biggest tech revolution of this (or any) generation. Louis Navellier may hold some of the aforementioned securities in one or more of his newsletters. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Stocks to Buy for Your 10-Year-Old * 5 Hot Cannabis Stocks to Snap Up * Buy These 5 Super Fast-Growth Dividend Stocks While They Are Down The post 7 Ideal Stocks to Buy for Cautious Investors appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE: BXMT) today reported its first quarter 2020 results.

The rating reflects the risks due to defaults on the underlying portfolio of assets, the transaction's legal structure, and the characteristics of the underlying assets. BXMT 2020-FL2, Ltd. is a static cash flow commercial real estate CLO ("CRE CLO") that provides for companion loan acquisitions during the life of the transaction, whereby principal proceeds from repayments (e.g. Additionally, up to 20 portfolio assets may have modifications to, among other things, LTV, WAL, and WAS, in each case, subject to certain transaction and asset level performance metrics.

Q1 2020 Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc Earnings Call

Companies In The News Are: AKAM, WU, PRI, BXMT.

Q4 2019 Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc Earnings Call

We hate to say this but, we told you so. On February 27th we published an article with the title Recession is Imminent: We Need A Travel Ban NOW and predicted a US recession when the S&P 500 Index was trading at the 3150 level. We also told you to short the market and buy […]

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE: BXMT) today announced that it will publish its first quarter 2020 earnings presentation on its website at www.bxmt.com and file its Form 10-Q after market close on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. The company will also host a conference call to review results on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

With unemployment rising to 15%, and the grim corporate earnings seasons wrapping up, investors may struggle to keep up the relatively buoyant mood that has boosted markets in recent weeks. They may find some support from the Federal Reserve, where Chairman Jerome Powell this week urged Congress and the White House to agree on additional stimulus packages. The Fed has already cut rates down to 0 to 25 basis points; they have no further ammunition, so if more help is to come, it will need to come on the spending side. Urging action, Powell said that an economic recovery “could come more slowly than they would like.”Viewing the situation for investment bank JPMorgan, quant strategist Dubravko Lakos-Bujas sees further aid as inevitable: “[This] crisis is a consequence of an exogenous shock, and is unique given the absence of ‘bad actors.’ This makes policy response much less contentious, more proactive and essentially unconstrained.” In his view, there is no ceiling on any action Congress or the Federal Reserve may take – and that may be the bottom line, as far as investors are concerned.Turning to a micro-level view, the stock analysts at JPM are making some concrete recommendations – and they are targeting the dividend stocks. We’ve pulled three of JPM's bullish calls, and ran them through TipRanks database to see what other Wall Street's analysts have to say about them.Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NLY)First up is a real estate investment trust, a niche well-known for its high dividends due to corporate tax code requirements. Annaly focuses its efforts on mortgage-backed securities, the lending side of the REIT sector, and holds an asset portfolio worth $133 billion.Like most companies, Annaly saw a sharp earnings drop in the first quarter. EPS, at 21 cents, was down 19% sequentially, although it did come in just over the 20-cent forecast. The true rough spot was that earnings did not fully cover the company’s Q1 dividend. At 25 cents quarterly, the dividend payment annualizes to $1 even and gives a fantastic yield of 16.9%. Annaly has a long history of maintaining reliable dividend payments, including adjusting the payout if needed to keep it viable. That the company did not make such an adjustment in Q1, despite a payout ratio of 119%, suggests that the company expects earnings to turn upwards in the near term.NLY shares have underperformed in the current bear cycle, losing as much as 59% from peak to trough. Since bottoming out, the stock has regained 40% from its low point – but share prices remain mired in penny-stock territory.Writing for JPM, 5-star analyst Richard Shane sees the low share price here as an opportunity. He writes, “We reiterate our preference for NLY’s large agency MBS portfolio, which consists predominately of specified collateral that performed well in the lower rate environment leading up to the pandemic. We continue to see upside to shares at current levels…”Backing his optimistic stance on NLY, Shane gives the stock a Buy rating. His $8.50 price target implies a strong upside of 45% in the next 12 months. (To watch Shane’s track record, click here)Overall, Wall Street is in cautious agreement with Shane on Annaly. Of 9 recently published stock reviews, the Buys outweigh the Holds 6 to 3. The stock’s current share price is low, at $5.86 even after gains in today’s session, and the average price target of $7.33 suggests room for 25% growth this year. (See Annaly stock analysis on TipRanks)Blackstone Mortgage Trust (BXMT)Sticking with REITs, we turn to Blackstone. This company invests mainly in original senior loans, backed by collateral, in the North American, European, and Australian markets. Blackstone’s real estate portfolio holds $161 billion in assets under management.Like NLY above, Blackstone shares felt a hard hit when the market turned sour in Q1. From peak to trough, BXMT lost an eye-opening 68% of its share value. Even after gains in recent weeks, the stock is still down 46% from its high point in February – this is serious underperformance, as the S&P 500 is only down 15% from its peak.Blackstone’s underperformance comes even as the company beat the earnings forecast in Q1. While EPS was down year-over-year, it did beat quarterly expectations by 5.4%, coming in at 58 cents. Revenues missed the forecast, but still came in at a solid $100.6 million.For income investors BXMT offers a solid dividend payment that has been held steady – regardless of quarterly earnings – for the past three years. The 62-cent quarterly payment gives an annualized value of $2.48 and a yield of 11.7%. This is nearly 6x the average dividend yield among S&P listed companies, and an impressive return by any standard.Richard Shane covers BXMT, too, and he is satisfied that the company can weather the coronavirus storm. Shane says of Blackstone, “BXMT remains a market leader best positioned to negotiate optimal terms with both financing counterparties and well-capitalized institutional borrowers… the overall impact of COVID-19 to quarterly earnings was minimal as all loans have paid interest through April… BXMT noted approximately $821M in liquidity…”In his note on the stock, Shane reiterates his Buy rating, along with a $25.50 price target that suggests an upside potential of 22%. (To watch Shane’s track record, click here)What do other analysts say about Blackstone? It’s almost split. TipRanks analytics shows out of 5 analyst, 3 are bullish on the stock, while 2 remain sidelined. The consensus price target of $24.50 shows a potential upside of 17.22%. (See Blackstone stock analysis on TipRanks)Enbridge, Inc. (ENB)Last up is Enbridge, a major player in the North American energy industry. While oil prices collapsed during Q1 as economies were shut down, that did not negate the need for oil and other hydrocarbons. Even limited economic activity, along with such essentials as home heating and power generation, maintained some demand. Enbridge, which is Canada’s largest natural gas distributor and the owner of the longest crude oil transport network in North America, was well positioned to remain profitable.And it did. The company’s Q1 earnings came in at 62 cents per share, beating the forecast by 21.5% and showing impressive 34.7% sequential growth. Quarterly revenues, of $8.96 billion, beat the estimates by 5.2%.Enbridge has an interesting dividend history. The company has kept up its quarterly payments reliably for the past three years, in part by adjusting the payout to match earnings. The current dividend, which was declared earlier this week, is 57.75 cents per share. The annualized payment of $2.31 puts the yield at 7.5%, not as high as the REITs above but still far better than average – and enormously higher than the badly depressed Treasury bond market.JPM’s Jeremy Tonet believes Enbridge holds a strong business position. He writes of the company, “In addition to the strong results, we view reiterating guidance as a significant positive for ENB, especially considering Mainline concerns. Furthermore, ENB continues to progress several key initiatives, including Mainline recontracting…”In line with this view, Tonet sets a price target of $56 Canadian ($39.86 US at current rates), implying a 29% upside potential for the coming year. Tonet’s bullish upside backs his Buy rating. (To watch Tonet’s track record, click here)The analyst consensus view here is another Moderate Buy, based on 16 ratings that include 12 Buys, 3 Holds, and a single Sell. ENB shares are currently priced at US$30.98, and the average price target of $38.02 indicates a 23% upside potential. (See Enbridge stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BXMT) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 12% in the last...

If you own shares in Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BXMT) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to...

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BXMT) announced today that Steve Plavin, Chief Executive Officer, will present at the Citi 2020 Global Property CEO Conference on Monday, March 2, 2020 at 8:50 am ET.

Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) has assigned a Ba2 rating to Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc.'s (BXMT) Term Loan B add-on. BXMT's Ba2 corporate family rating (CFR) and Ba2 senior secured rating were unaffected by the company's decision to increase its existing Term Loan B by $250 million. BXMT's Ba2 CFR reflects the strength of the company's competitive positioning in the commercial real estate (CRE) sector resulting from its affiliation with The Blackstone Group L.P., and its strong asset quality, stable profitability and low leverage.