Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) Short Interest Down 25.8% in January

by · The Cerbat Gem

Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC – Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 3,588,108 shares, a decline of 25.8% from the December 31st total of 4,833,859 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,873,403 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.9 days. Approximately 3.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 3.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,873,403 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.9 days.

Ellington Financial Stock Performance

EFC traded down $0.07 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $12.60. 4,679,819 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,621,219. The company has a current ratio of 50.60, a quick ratio of 50.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.40 and a beta of 0.95. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $13.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.52. Ellington Financial has a 1-year low of $11.12 and a 1-year high of $14.40.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.09. Ellington Financial had a return on equity of 14.55% and a net margin of 89.04%.The company had revenue of $242.08 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $121.99 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ellington Financial will post 1.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.4%. Ellington Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 116.42%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on EFC shares. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Ellington Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed 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 issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.55.

View Our Latest Research Report on Ellington Financial

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CWM LLC increased its position in Ellington Financial by 67.6% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,010 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 811 shares during the period. Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ellington Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in Ellington Financial by 134.4% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,752 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,578 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in shares of Ellington Financial in the third quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in Ellington Financial by 93.9% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,582 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 1,735 shares during the last quarter. 55.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ellington Financial Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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