Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

Annaly Capital Management Inc (NYSE:NLY) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders acquired 18,546 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 94% compared to the average volume of 9,555 call options.

Annaly Capital Management Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:NLY traded down $0.03 on Tuesday, hitting $18.27. The stock had a trading volume of 7,798,125 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,269,887. The stock has a market cap of $13.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.57, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $21.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $22.00. Annaly Capital Management has a 1-year low of $17.76 and a 1-year high of $24.52.

Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $639.80 million. Annaly Capital Management had a net margin of 43.66% and a return on equity of 16.00%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Annaly Capital Management will post 3.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Annaly Capital Management Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 16.4%. Annaly Capital Management’s payout ratio is currently 75.19%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Annaly Capital Management

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. HUB Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in Annaly Capital Management by 3.3% during the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 14,668 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $328,000 after buying an additional 462 shares during the period. Quadcap Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Quadcap Wealth Management LLC now owns 21,889 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $463,000 after acquiring an additional 495 shares during the period. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 30.3% in the 2nd quarter. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC now owns 2,150 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio lifted its holdings in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 16,920 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $358,000 after acquiring an additional 548 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sigma Planning Corp boosted its position in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 25,979 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $581,000 after purchasing an additional 606 shares during the period. 51.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NLY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Annaly Capital Management from $26.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Annaly Capital Management from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. BTIG Research set a $21.00 price objective on Annaly Capital Management and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Annaly Capital Management in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Annaly Capital Management from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $23.61.

Annaly Capital Management Company Profile

Annaly Capital Management, Inc is a real estate investment trust that invests in and manages a portfolio of mortgage-related assets. The company’s primary business is focused on generating income from investments in agency mortgage-backed securities, which are guaranteed by a U.S. government-sponsored enterprise or government agency.

In addition to agency securities, Annaly invests in residential credit assets, including non-agency mortgage-backed securities and other residential loans.