Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.14, Zacks reports. Ellington Financial had a net margin of 52.43% and a return on equity of 17.13%. The company had revenue of $134.11 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $114.59 million.

Ellington Financial Stock Up 3.5%

Shares of NYSE:EFC traded up $0.46 during trading on Friday, hitting $13.60. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,231,489 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,146,854. Ellington Financial has a fifty-two week low of $11.27 and a fifty-two week high of $14.12. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $13.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.18, a quick ratio of 42.65 and a current ratio of 42.65. The company has a market capitalization of $1.71 billion, a PE ratio of 8.29 and a beta of 0.94.

Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be paid a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.5%. Ellington Financial’s payout ratio is 93.98%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ellington Financial

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the third quarter worth approximately $44,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Ellington Financial by 227.6% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,853 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $89,000 after buying an additional 4,761 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. acquired a new stake in Ellington Financial in the second quarter valued at $131,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Ellington Financial in the second quarter valued at $138,000. Finally, one8zero8 LLC bought a new position in Ellington Financial during the 4th quarter valued at $149,000. 55.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EFC has been the topic of several recent research reports. BTIG Research lowered shares of Ellington Financial from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Ellington Financial from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Ellington Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Ellington Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ellington Financial presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.88.

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.