ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) Short Interest Update

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 10,312,027 shares, a drop of 16.9% from the December 15th total of 12,410,540 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,715,611 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.8 days. Currently, 9.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Currently, 9.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,715,611 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.8 days.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Stock Down 2.9%

Shares of ARR stock opened at $18.57 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $2.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 464.13 and a beta of 1.44. ARMOUR Residential REIT has a fifty-two week low of $13.18 and a fifty-two week high of $19.31. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.37.

ARMOUR Residential REIT (NYSE:ARR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.75 by ($0.03). ARMOUR Residential REIT had a return on equity of 15.37% and a net margin of 9.01%.The business had revenue of $210.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $63.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.00 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that ARMOUR Residential REIT will post 3.8 earnings per share for the current year.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 15.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 15th. ARMOUR Residential REIT’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7,200.00%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert C. Hain sold 6,833 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.06, for a total value of $123,403.98. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,010 shares in the company, valued at $18,240.60. The trade was a 87.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ARMOUR Residential REIT

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 620.6% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,823 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,570 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 217.5% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,721 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,179 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 210.9% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,766 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,198 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 184.3% during the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,198 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,425 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.17% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Compass Point began coverage on ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research report on Monday, December 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $18.50 target price on the stock. Jones Trading upgraded ARMOUR Residential REIT from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.50 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Zacks Research upgraded ARMOUR Residential REIT from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, ARMOUR Residential REIT presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.33.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Company Profile

ARMOUR Residential REIT (NYSE:ARR) is a mortgage real estate investment trust that was formed in 2008 to acquire and manage a portfolio of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). The company’s investments are primarily agency-sponsored and agency-guaranteed RMBS issued by U.S. government-sponsored enterprises, along with credit risk transfer securities and select non-agency residential and multifamily RMBS. By focusing on high-quality mortgage assets, ARMOUR Residential REIT seeks to generate stable income and preserve capital through diversified exposure to the U.S.