COMPARE · Data as of August 28, 2026
APLE vs RLJ
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. APLE scored 66.0, RLJ scored 68.0 — RLJ leads.
Compare another set
APLE
Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc.
79.9Fin
$16.55 · $3.9B
fundamentals as of
Strength gap
5.3
APLE leads
RLJ
RLJ Lodging Trust
74.6Fin
$11.46 · $1.8B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- Fastest growthAPLE-1.3%
- Strongest balance sheetAPLE0.51
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Fundamentals, head-to-head
APLE
RLJ
5.8%A-
Yield
5.2%A-
-1.3%D+
Rev
-1.4%D+
0.51A-
D/E
1.30C+
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
The companies
APLEApple Hospitality REIT, Inc.
Why now
REIT - Hotel & Motel · market cap $3.9b. 4% off the 52-week high of $17.28. 9 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $17.17 (implying +4% upside).
Moat
Net margin 12% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent.
Risk
Dividend payout 130% of earnings on a 5.8% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut. ROE 6% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.
RLJRLJ Lodging Trust
Why now
REIT - Hotel & Motel · market cap $1.8b. 11% off the 52-week high of $12.89. 11 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $11.45 (implying -0% upside).
Moat
Higher-variance name — the moat signals on the quantitative card are modest, so the durability case rests on execution (turning current growth into durable earnings power) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than an entrenched competitive position.
Risk
Dividend payout 6000% of earnings on a 5.2% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut. Net margin 2.0% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first. ROE 1% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.