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Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc (REFI) AI Stock Analysis

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REFI

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc

(NASDAQ:REFI)

Select Model
Rating:65Neutral
Price Target:$9.50▲(2.59% Upside)
Action:reiterated
Date:11/10/26

REFI scores highest on valuation (low P/E and very high dividend yield) supported by generally solid fundamentals (strong margins and reasonable leverage). The score is held back by weak technicals (below key moving averages with negative MACD/low RSI) and fundamental trajectory concerns (TTM revenue decline and weaker cash conversion), while the earnings call was constructive but highlighted liquidity, origination slowdown, and merger uncertainty.

Positive Factors
High-yield loan portfolioA sizable, diversified loan portfolio with a high weighted average yield supports recurring interest income and provides a durable earnings foundation. The scale across 28 portfolio companies also reduces reliance on any single borrower while reinforcing REFI’s specialized credit-market position.
Negative Factors
Revenue and cash-conversion weaknessThe decline in trailing revenue and weaker conversion of accounting earnings into operating cash reduce confidence in the stability of reported profitability. If this pattern persists, REFI may have less internally generated cash to fund investments, dividends, or balance-sheet growth.

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc (REFI) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-20%-15%-10%-5%0%5%10%15%20%REFI-14.37%SPY+10.92%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
Market Cap
$237.25M
Dividend Yield
20.30%
Average Volume (3M)
190.39K
Price to Earnings (P/E)
7.6
Beta (1Y)
0.53
Revenue Growth
1.21%
EPS Growth
-29.18%
Country
US
Employees
0
Sector
Real Estate
Sector Strength
65
Industry
REIT - Mortgage

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc. functions as a commercial real estate financing enterprise operating throughout the United States. Its primary activities include developing, arranging, and deploying capital into various secured debt instru...

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 10, 2026(Q3-2026)|% Change Since:4.51%|Next Earnings Date:Mar 17, 2027
Earnings Call SentimentPositive

The call was broadly positive on operating execution, portfolio yield, quarterly fundings, Koach contribution, dividend continuity, rate sensitivity, and the potential strategic benefits of the REFI-LIEN combination. However, the company also reported significant share-price underperformance, limited liquidity, an expected fourth-quarter origination slowdown, higher interest expense, credit reserves, and continued merger approval uncertainty. The highlights outweighed the lowlights, supporting a positive overall sentiment.

Positive Updates

Strong Quarterly Fundings and Earnings
The company deployed more than $85 million of new principal fundings during the quarter, delivered $0.49 of adjusted distributable earnings on a fully diluted basis, and paid a regular quarterly dividend of $0.47 per share, marking its 18th consecutive quarter of doing so.

Negative Updates

Share Price Declined in Line with Mortgage REIT Market
Year-to-date through November 6, 2026, REFI and the VanEck Mortgage REIT Income ETF each generated total returns of approximately negative 17% to 18%. During September, after the 10-year Treasury yield increased by approximately 54 basis points and the Fed raised rates by 25 basis points, both REFI and MORT declined by about 9% through September 30, despite management stating that rising rates benefited REFI's net interest income.

Company Guidance

Management said it expects originations to slow during the fourth quarter of 2026; as of today, approximately $15.2 million was available on the senior credit facility and total liquidity net of estimated liabilities and anticipated fundings was approximately $12 million. Management said the press release gives the expected merger timing as "'27," while the process remains ongoing, and said it expects additional opportunities to rotate properties, although the specific cadence will be difficult to forecast. Management does not expect a broad shift into syndicates or agency credits or mortgage-backed securities. Each 25 basis point interest rate increase is expected to lead to $0.015 per share improvement in quarterly distributable earnings.

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Fundamentals are solid but mixed: profitability is strong with very high net margins (TTM ~52%), and leverage is moderate for a mortgage REIT with consistently positive ROE (~10% TTM). Offsetting this, TTM revenue declined materially (~24.5%) and cash conversion weakened (TTM operating cash flow ~0.30x net income), reducing confidence in near-term stability.

Income Statement

62Positive

Balance Sheet

74Positive

Cash Flow

58Neutral
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue46.46M63.10M54.78M57.33M48.86M14.47M
Gross Profit41.20M54.82M54.78M57.33M48.86M14.24M
EBITDA24.90M36.01M00563.46M101.15K
Net Income26.90M36.01M37.05M38.71M32.29M12.66M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets468.19M424.92M435.15M359.23M343.27M278.17M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments8.27M14.95M26.40M7.90M5.72M80.25M
Total Debt49.51M98.43M104.10M66.00M58.00M0
Total Liabilities165.54M117.10M126.19M87.37M79.24M14.09M
Stockholders Equity302.65M307.81M308.96M271.85M264.03M264.08M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow18.74M28.79M23.16M28.42M17.01M6.67M
Operating Cash Flow18.74M28.79M23.16M28.42M17.01M6.67M
Investing Cash Flow-42.19M8.74M-39.30M-1.93M-125.24M-145.22M
Financing Cash Flow7.88M-48.98M34.64M-24.31M33.71M218.80M

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentNeutral
Last Price9.26

Price Trends

50DMA9.70Negative
100DMA9.84Negative
200DMA10.23Negative

Market Momentum

MACD-0.19Negative
RSI50.58Neutral
STOCH47.92Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For REFI, the sentiment is Neutral. The current price of 9.26 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 9.07, below the 50-day MA of 9.70, and below the 200-day MA of 10.23, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.19 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 50.58 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 47.92 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Neutral sentiment for REFI.

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc Risk Analysis

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc disclosed 113 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.

Higher RiskSector Avg.Lower RiskFinance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

Latest Risks Added

3 New Risks
1.Movement in the Exchange Ratio between signing and closing may result in REFI stockholders receiving fewer shares of LIEN common stock than currently anticipated.Q2, 2026
2.The proposed merger with LIEN is subject to various closing conditions, and there can be no assurance that the merger will be completed on the anticipated terms or timing, or at all.Q2, 2026
3.REFI's election to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act would fundamentally change REFI's regulatory framework.Q2, 2026

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (65)

Financial Indicators

REFI against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
SEVNSEVN66Neutral$153.85M8.435.04%16.62%4.05%-22.53%
Sector *65Neutral$2.17B12.193.79%4.94%3.15%1.96%
REFIREFI65Neutral$237.25M7.598.85%20.30%1.21%-29.18%
ACREACRE57Neutral$197.55M178.000.19%16.85%62.05%―
NREFNREF57Neutral$241.25M15.0618.36%15.62%1.61%14.36%
MITTMITT50Neutral$139.62M-19.952.48%21.64%11.89%-124.83%
AOMRAOMR43Neutral$145.05M-14.76-3.87%20.65%27.73%-157.12%

* Real Estate Sector Average

Performance Comparison

-20%0%20%40%REFIACRESEVNMITTNREFAOMRDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
REFI and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
REFIChicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc.9.26-1.59-14.63%
ACREAres Commercial Real Estate3.56-0.74-17.17%
SEVNSeven Hills Realty Trust6.74-0.86-11.27%
MITTAG Mortgage Investment Trust4.39-2.47-36.02%
NREFNexpoint Real Estate Finance Inc12.800.483.91%
AOMRAngel Oak Mortgage, Inc.6.20-1.47-19.16%

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate ate Finance Inc Corporate Events

DividendsFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance Reports Third-Quarter Results

Neutral
Nov 10, 2026

On November 10, 2026, Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026. The company reported $12,564,095 of distributable earnings, or $0.49 per diluted weighted average share, $6,434,023...

Business Operations and StrategyDividendsFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions

Chicago Atlantic Reports Q2 Results, Advances BDC Merger

Neutral
Aug 11, 2026

On August 11, 2026, Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance reported second-quarter 2026 results showing $59.2 million in gross originations and total loan principal outstanding rising to about $453.1 million, with 26 portfolio companies. Net interest i...

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.

Date of analysis: Nov 10, 2026