Short Interest in ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) Decreases By 21.9%

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 10,127,985 shares, a drop of 21.9% from the January 15th total of 12,969,540 shares. Approximately 9.1% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,895,720 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.6 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,895,720 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.6 days. Approximately 9.1% of the company’s shares are short sold.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE ARR traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $18.31. 5,098,541 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,298,495. The company has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 457.65 and a beta of 1.46. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $17.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.55. ARMOUR Residential REIT has a 52-week low of $13.18 and a 52-week high of $19.31.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 15.7%. ARMOUR Residential REIT’s payout ratio is 7,200.00%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Robert C. Hain sold 6,833 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.06, for a total transaction of $123,403.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,010 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,240.60. This trade represents a 87.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ARMOUR Residential REIT

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 40.7% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,369 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 685 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 9,283 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $139,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares during the period. Kovack Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 29,504 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $441,000 after acquiring an additional 889 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR increased its position in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 19,310 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $342,000 after buying an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 21,946 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $388,000 after purchasing an additional 988 shares during the period. 54.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ARR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Jones Trading raised shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.50 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Compass Point assumed coverage on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research report on Monday, December 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $18.50 price target for the company. Zacks Research raised shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $18.33.

About ARMOUR Residential REIT

ARMOUR Residential REIT (NYSE:ARR) is a mortgage real estate investment trust that was formed in 2008 to acquire and manage a portfolio of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). The company’s investments are primarily agency-sponsored and agency-guaranteed RMBS issued by U.S. government-sponsored enterprises, along with credit risk transfer securities and select non-agency residential and multifamily RMBS. By focusing on high-quality mortgage assets, ARMOUR Residential REIT seeks to generate stable income and preserve capital through diversified exposure to the U.S.