Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ellington Financial in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Ellington Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $14.08.

Ellington Financial Trading Up 0.3%

EFC stock opened at $13.45 on Wednesday. Ellington Financial has a 1-year low of $11.27 and a 1-year high of $14.12. The firm has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.10 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s 50 day moving average is $12.48 and its 200-day moving average is $13.10. The company has a current ratio of 42.65, a quick ratio of 47.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.18.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.13. Ellington Financial had a return on equity of 15.81% and a net margin of 72.08%.The firm had revenue of $188.83 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $114.09 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Ellington Financial will post 1.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ellington Financial

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EFC. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Ellington Financial by 15.1% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 179,803 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,384,000 after acquiring an additional 23,553 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning bought a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $176,000. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $166,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of Ellington Financial by 16.6% during the second quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 27,434 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 3,900 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $138,000. Institutional investors own 55.62% of the company’s stock.

Ellington Financial Company Profile

Ellington Financial, Inc (NYSE: EFC) is a mortgage real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on generating attractive risk-adjusted returns through investments in residential and commercial mortgage-related assets. Established in 2013, the company is externally managed by Ellington Financial Management, L.P., a subsidiary of Ellington Management Group, an alternative asset management firm. EFC’s core strategy centers on actively acquiring and managing agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS), mortgage servicing rights, residential whole loans, and other structured finance instruments, including asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS).

The company employs leverage and structured financing tools—such as repurchase agreements and secured credit facilities—to enhance portfolio yield while maintaining focus on risk mitigation.