Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) Raised to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

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

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ellington Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ellington Financial in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.08.

Ellington Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EFC opened at $13.45 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.18, a quick ratio of 47.25 and a current ratio of 42.65. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $12.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.10. The stock has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a PE ratio of 8.10 and a beta of 0.94. Ellington Financial has a one year low of $11.27 and a one year high of $14.12.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $188.83 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $114.09 million. Ellington Financial had a return on equity of 15.81% and a net margin of 72.08%. On average, analysts forecast that Ellington Financial will post 1.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ellington Financial

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EFC. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its stake in Ellington Financial by 267.4% in the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 2,208 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 1,607 shares during the last quarter. Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ellington Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. REAP Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ellington Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial in the third quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank boosted its position in shares of Ellington Financial by 35.3% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 4,136 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,078 shares during the last quarter. 55.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.