Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) Short Interest Update

Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 3,987,640 shares, a decrease of 13.4% from the January 29th total of 4,605,585 shares. Currently, 3.6% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 2,255,579 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 2,255,579 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Currently, 3.6% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ellington Financial in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $14.56.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 811 shares during the last quarter. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in Ellington Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Huntington National Bank increased its position 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 worth $36,000 after buying an additional 1,578 shares during the period. REAP Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ellington Financial during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial in the third quarter worth $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.62% of the company’s stock.

Ellington Financial Price Performance

Shares of EFC traded up $0.07 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $12.36. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 262,360 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,223,335. Ellington Financial has a fifty-two week low of $11.12 and a fifty-two week high of $14.12. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $13.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.05 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.02, a current ratio of 44.59 and a quick ratio of 50.60.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.03. Ellington Financial had a return on equity of 14.62% and a net margin of 53.10%.The business had revenue of $96.44 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $132.07 million. On average, research analysts predict that Ellington Financial will post 1.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Ellington Financial’s payout ratio is currently 126.83%.

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.