Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) Stock Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $13.08 and traded as high as $13.59. Ellington Financial shares last traded at $13.4450, with a volume of 1,981,994 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on EFC shares. Zacks Research raised Ellington Financial from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. BTIG Research downgraded Ellington Financial from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ellington Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Ellington Financial from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $14.08.

Ellington Financial Trading Down 1.6%

The company has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.10 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a quick ratio of 42.65, a current ratio of 42.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.18. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $13.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $13.08.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $188.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $114.09 million. Ellington Financial had a net margin of 72.08% and a return on equity of 15.81%. On average, equities analysts predict that Ellington Financial Inc. will post 1.95 EPS for the current year.

Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 11.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. Ellington Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 93.98%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ellington Financial

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ellington Financial by 15.1% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 179,803 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,384,000 after purchasing an additional 23,553 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning purchased a new position in Ellington Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $176,000. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new position in Ellington Financial during the second quarter worth approximately $166,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its position in Ellington Financial by 16.6% during the second quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 27,434 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $356,000 after buying an additional 3,900 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Ellington Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $138,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.62% of the company’s stock.

Ellington Financial Company Profile

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.