MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $12.50.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MFA shares. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $12.50 price objective on shares of MFA Financial in a research note on Friday, May 31st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on MFA Financial from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. StockNews.com raised MFA Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Wedbush raised their target price on MFA Financial from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Creekmur Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in MFA Financial during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its holdings in shares of MFA Financial by 82.7% in the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 2,658 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,203 shares during the period. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in shares of MFA Financial in the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Quent Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of MFA Financial by 17.7% during the first quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 10,030 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $114,000 after purchasing an additional 1,508 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MFA Financial during the first quarter worth approximately $128,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.28% of the company’s stock.

MFA Financial Stock Performance

Shares of MFA opened at $11.79 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.20 billion, a PE ratio of -147.29 and a beta of 2.15. MFA Financial has a 1 year low of $8.41 and a 1 year high of $11.99.

MFA Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 28th were given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 11.88%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. MFA Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1,749.78%.

About MFA Financial

MFA Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a real estate investment trust in the United States. It invests in residential mortgage securities, including non-agency mortgage-backed securities, agency MBS, and credit risk transfer securities; residential whole loans, including purchased performing loans, purchased credit deteriorated, and non-performing loans; and mortgage servicing rights related assets.