AGNC Investment Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:AGNC)

AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock traders bought 167,320 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 318% compared to the average volume of 40,007 put options.

AGNC Investment Price Performance

AGNC opened at $9.75 on Friday. AGNC Investment has a 12-month low of $7.85 and a 12-month high of $12.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $11.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $10.62. The company has a market capitalization of $10.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.96 and a beta of 1.37.

AGNC Investment (NASDAQ:AGNC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.02). AGNC Investment had a net margin of 47.40% and a return on equity of 18.32%. The firm had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $354.75 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AGNC Investment will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AGNC Investment Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 14.8%. AGNC Investment’s payout ratio is currently 102.86%.

Insider Transactions at AGNC Investment

In other AGNC Investment news, EVP Bernice Bell sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.14, for a total value of $303,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 491,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,969,577.92. This represents a 4.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kenneth L. Pollack sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.11, for a total value of $605,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 552,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,688,316.67. The trade was a 8.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 775,000 shares of company stock worth $9,246,000. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AGNC Investment

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AGNC. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in AGNC Investment by 51.9% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 64,100 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $614,000 after buying an additional 21,897 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of AGNC Investment by 38.4% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 24,941 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $239,000 after acquiring an additional 6,923 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of AGNC Investment by 16.0% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 2,811,782 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $26,937,000 after acquiring an additional 387,524 shares during the period. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AGNC Investment by 17.7% in the 2nd quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 25,191 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $232,000 after acquiring an additional 3,794 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of AGNC Investment by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 118,061 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,085,000 after acquiring an additional 5,134 shares in the last quarter. 38.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on AGNC shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $12.00 price target (up from $11.00) on shares of AGNC Investment in a report on Thursday, January 29th. BTIG Research lowered shares of AGNC Investment from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of AGNC Investment from $10.00 to $12.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of AGNC Investment from $11.00 to $11.50 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of AGNC Investment from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $11.03.

AGNC Investment Company Profile

AGNC Investment Corp. is a self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily acquires and manages a portfolio of residential mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The company employs a leveraged total return strategy, borrowing against its securities to enhance income potential while using interest rate hedges to manage risk. AGNC’s investment objective is to generate attractive monthly dividends and long-term capital appreciation for its shareholders.

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, AGNC focuses exclusively on U.S.