Ellington Financial Inc. (EFC) – What Are Researchers Thinking About This Stock?

Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the six ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $13.83.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on EFC shares. Zacks Research lowered Ellington Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Ellington Financial from $14.00 to $14.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of Ellington Financial from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 9th. JonesTrading lowered their target price on shares of Ellington Financial from $14.50 to $13.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ellington Financial from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ellington Financial

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System grew its holdings in Ellington Financial by 59.8% in the 3rd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 28,933 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $342,000 after buying an additional 10,823 shares in the last quarter. Lido Advisors LLC increased its position in Ellington Financial by 35.1% during the 3rd quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 112,854 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,335,000 after buying an additional 29,300 shares during the period. Ethic Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the third quarter worth $358,000. StoneX Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the third quarter worth $261,000. Finally, Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ellington Financial by 41.7% during the third quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 21,374 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $253,000 after buying an additional 6,292 shares in the last quarter. 55.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ellington Financial Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE:EFC opened at $11.42 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $12.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.88 and a beta of 1.01. Ellington Financial has a 1-year low of $11.15 and a 1-year high of $14.12. The company has a quick ratio of 52.06, a current ratio of 52.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.39.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The financial services provider reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $117.72 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $125.83 million. Ellington Financial had a return on equity of 16.12% and a net margin of 41.95%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Ellington Financial will post 2.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, November 30th will be given a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 30th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.7%. Ellington Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 93.98%.

Ellington Financial Company Profile

Ellington Financial Inc is a real estate investment trust that invests in a diversified portfolio of financial assets, with a focus on mortgage-related investments. Its holdings include residential and commercial mortgage loans and securities, as well as other asset-backed and consumer-related investments.

The company seeks to generate income and returns through investing in, financing and managing these assets. Its portfolio may include mortgage servicing rights and other investments related to residential and commercial real estate.

Ellington Financial is externally managed by Ellington Financial Management LLC, an affiliate of Ellington Management Group.