Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) Issues Earnings Results

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The financial services provider reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.03, Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $96.44 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $132.07 million. Ellington Financial had a net margin of 89.04% and a return on equity of 14.55%.

Ellington Financial Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of EFC stock traded up $0.12 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $12.64. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 630,176 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,242,252. The company has a quick ratio of 50.60, a current ratio of 50.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.46 billion, a PE ratio of 9.44 and a beta of 0.95. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $13.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.48. Ellington Financial has a 12-month low of $11.12 and a 12-month high of $14.40.

Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.3%. Ellington Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 116.42%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ellington Financial

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its position in Ellington Financial by 79.1% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 26,464 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $359,000 after acquiring an additional 11,684 shares in the last quarter. one8zero8 LLC purchased a new stake in Ellington Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $149,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Ellington Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $352,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ellington Financial by 228.0% during the 4th quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 103,998 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,412,000 after buying an additional 72,287 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial in the fourth quarter worth $646,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ellington Financial in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $14.55.

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.