Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – What’s Next?

Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) saw strong trading volume on Friday . 183,612 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 53% from the previous session’s volume of 393,234 shares.The stock last traded at $12.26 and had previously closed at $12.16.

Ellington Financial Price Performance

The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $12.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $12.59. The firm has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.42 and a beta of 1.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.87, a quick ratio of 37.04 and a current ratio of 37.04.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.04. Ellington Financial had a return on equity of 10.26% and a net margin of 106.40%. The firm had revenue of $33.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $37.95 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Ellington Financial Inc. will post 1.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ellington Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.64%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. Ellington Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 119.08%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ellington Financial news, CIO Michael W. Vranos sold 14,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.48, for a total transaction of $174,720.00. Following the sale, the executive now directly owns 168,359 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,101,120.32. This trade represents a 7.68 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ellington Financial

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. McIlrath & Eck LLC acquired a new stake in Ellington Financial during the third quarter worth about $62,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Ellington Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $68,000. Members Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $129,000. Atom Investors LP purchased a new position in shares of Ellington Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $130,000. Finally, Creative Planning acquired a new position in shares of Ellington Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at $141,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.62% of the company’s stock.

Ellington Financial Company Profile

Ellington Financial Inc, through its subsidiary, Ellington Financial Operating Partnership LLC, acquires and manages mortgage-related, consumer-related, corporate-related, and other financial assets in the United States. The company acquires and manages residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) backed by prime jumbo, Alt-A, manufactured housing, and subprime mortgage; RMBS for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by the U.S.