MFA Financial (NYSE:MFA) Raised to “Buy” at StockNews.com

MFA Financial (NYSE:MFA) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on MFA. JMP Securities lowered their target price on MFA Financial from $13.50 to $12.50 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Janney Montgomery Scott started coverage on shares of MFA Financial in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $14.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of MFA Financial from $13.50 to $12.50 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, MFA Financial currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $13.70.

MFA Financial Price Performance

Shares of MFA stock traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $11.01. The company had a trading volume of 711,431 shares, compared to its average volume of 803,871. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a PE ratio of 13.59 and a beta of 2.18. The company’s fifty day moving average is $10.47 and its 200 day moving average is $11.23. MFA Financial has a fifty-two week low of $9.36 and a fifty-two week high of $13.45.

MFA Financial (NYSE:MFA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.02). MFA Financial had a net margin of 16.47% and a return on equity of 9.61%. The firm had revenue of $50.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $58.06 million. Equities analysts forecast that MFA Financial will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MFA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new stake in shares of MFA Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. National Bank of Canada FI acquired a new stake in MFA Financial during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in MFA Financial by 823.4% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 3,278 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 2,923 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of MFA Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of MFA Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. 65.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About MFA Financial

MFA Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a real estate investment trust in the United States. It invests in residential mortgage securities, including non-agency mortgage-backed securities, agency MBS, and credit risk transfer securities; residential whole loans, including purchased performing loans, purchased credit deteriorated, and non-performing loans; and mortgage servicing rights related assets.