Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) Receives $14.46 Average Price Target from Analysts

Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eight brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $14.4583.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Ellington Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ellington Financial in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ellington Financial

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CWM LLC boosted its position in Ellington Financial by 67.6% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,010 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 811 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in Ellington Financial by 134.4% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,752 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 1,578 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in Ellington Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its stake in Ellington Financial by 93.9% in the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,582 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 1,735 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Ellington Financial by 535.9% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 6,181 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 5,209 shares during the period. 55.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ellington Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EFC opened at $13.76 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.27 and a beta of 0.95. The company’s 50-day moving average is $13.70 and its 200 day moving average is $13.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.64, a quick ratio of 50.60 and a current ratio of 50.60. Ellington Financial has a fifty-two week low of $11.12 and a fifty-two week high of $14.40.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $242.08 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $121.99 million. Ellington Financial had a net margin of 89.04% and a return on equity of 14.55%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Ellington Financial will post 1.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.3%. Ellington Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 116.42%.

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.