Michael W. Vranos Sells 5,900 Shares of Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) Stock

Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) CIO Michael W. Vranos sold 5,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.12, for a total value of $71,508.00. Following the transaction, the executive now owns 179,655 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,177,418.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Ellington Financial Stock Performance

NYSE EFC opened at $12.15 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.99, a quick ratio of 46.79 and a current ratio of 46.79. Ellington Financial Inc. has a one year low of $10.88 and a one year high of $14.21. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $11.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a PE ratio of 18.98 and a beta of 1.97.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $31.06 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.68 million. Ellington Financial had a net margin of 66.65% and a return on equity of 10.51%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ellington Financial Inc. will post 1.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Ellington Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Investors of record on Friday, June 28th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 28th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.84%. Ellington Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 243.75%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on EFC shares. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $14.50 price objective on shares of Ellington Financial in a research note on Thursday, April 18th. Jonestrading initiated coverage on Ellington Financial in a research note on Friday, April 19th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. BTIG Research lowered their price objective on Ellington Financial from $15.50 to $13.50 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Ellington Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ellington Financial has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $13.95.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ellington Financial

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Ellington Financial during the first quarter worth about $163,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Ellington Financial by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 54,094 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $639,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its stake in Ellington Financial by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 105,288 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,242,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517 shares during the period. Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc bought a new position in Ellington Financial in the 1st quarter worth about $358,000. Finally, MAS Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Ellington Financial by 31.5% in the first quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 37,265 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $440,000 after purchasing an additional 8,930 shares during the period. 55.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ellington Financial

Ellington Financial Inc, through its subsidiary, Ellington Financial Operating Partnership LLC, acquires and manages mortgage-related, consumer-related, corporate-related, and other financial assets in the United States. The company acquires and manages residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) backed by prime jumbo, Alt-A, manufactured housing, and subprime mortgage; RMBS for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by the U.S.