MFA Financial (NYSE:MFA) Sets New 1-Year Low – Here’s Why

Shares of MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA) reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $8.80 and last traded at $8.7950, with a volume of 160006 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.84.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on MFA shares. Citizens Jmp lowered their target price on shares of MFA Financial from $11.50 to $11.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MFA Financial from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. William Blair set a $11.00 price target on shares of MFA Financial in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $10.00 price target on shares of MFA Financial in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on shares of MFA Financial from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $10.46.

MFA Financial Price Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $9.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $9.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $895.15 million, a PE ratio of 8.86 and a beta of 1.42.

MFA Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 16.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. MFA Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 144.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MFA Financial

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of MFA Financial during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Headlands Technologies LLC raised its stake in MFA Financial by 62.3% during the 2nd quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 2,992 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,149 shares during the last quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new stake in MFA Financial during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in MFA Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in MFA Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 65.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About MFA Financial

MFA Financial, Inc, headquartered in New York City, is a real estate investment trust that specializes in investing in residential mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities. The company’s primary objective is to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns through net interest income and capital appreciation. As a mortgage REIT, MFA Financial focuses on constructing a diversified portfolio of agency and non-agency residential mortgage assets, leveraging its expertise in acquiring, financing and servicing mortgage products.

MFA Financial’s investment portfolio encompasses a wide range of mortgage instruments, including adjustable-rate and fixed-rate mortgage loans, interest-only securities, and agency mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by government-sponsored entities.