Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) Announces Earnings Results

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The financial services provider reported $999.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $998.56, Zacks reports. Ellington Financial had a return on equity of 14.55% and a net margin of 89.04%.

Ellington Financial Stock Performance

Shares of Ellington Financial stock traded up $0.08 on Wednesday, hitting $12.54. The stock had a trading volume of 1,858,583 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,289,027. The stock has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.35 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 50.60, a quick ratio of 50.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.64. Ellington Financial has a 52-week low of $11.12 and a 52-week high of $14.40. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $13.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $13.49.

Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.4%. Ellington Financial’s payout ratio is 116.42%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ellington Financial

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of EFC. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its holdings in shares of Ellington Financial by 79.1% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 26,464 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $359,000 after acquiring an additional 11,684 shares during the period. one8zero8 LLC purchased a new position in Ellington Financial during the 4th quarter worth $149,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in Ellington Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $352,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ellington Financial by 228.0% in the fourth 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 acquired a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $646,000. 55.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

About Ellington Financial

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.