MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA) Shares Bought by UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA) by 74.9% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 157,481 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after purchasing an additional 67,449 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC’s holdings in MFA Financial were worth $2,003,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MFA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. purchased a new stake in MFA Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MFA Financial in the third quarter valued at $38,000. Castleview Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MFA Financial in the third quarter valued at $79,000. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MFA Financial during the third quarter valued at $189,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in MFA Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $329,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.28% of the company’s stock.

MFA Financial Price Performance

MFA opened at $10.82 on Monday. MFA Financial, Inc. has a 12 month low of $10.20 and a 12 month high of $13.45. The business has a 50-day moving average of $11.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.81 and a beta of 2.11.

MFA Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.94%. MFA Financial’s payout ratio is 88.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of MFA Financial from $13.00 to $14.50 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of MFA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and set a $15.00 target price on shares of MFA Financial in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, JMP Securities boosted their price target on MFA Financial from $12.50 to $13.50 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, September 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $14.00.

MFA Financial Profile

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.