Artemis Investment Management LLP Invests $2.65 Million in Ellington Financial Inc. $EFC

Artemis Investment Management LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 195,443 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,654,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 23,553 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning acquired a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $176,000. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $166,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its position in shares of 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 valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 3,900 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Ellington Financial in the second quarter valued at $138,000. Institutional investors own 55.62% of the company’s stock.

Ellington Financial Price Performance

NYSE:EFC opened at $13.24 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.65 billion, a PE ratio of 10.76 and a beta of 0.94. Ellington Financial Inc. has a 12 month low of $11.27 and a 12 month high of $14.12. The company has a quick ratio of 47.25, a current ratio of 47.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.02. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $12.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.11.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.03. Ellington Financial had a net margin of 53.10% and a return on equity of 14.62%. The company had revenue of $96.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $132.07 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ellington Financial Inc. will post 1.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 30th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 30th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.8%. Ellington Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 126.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on EFC shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ellington Financial in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Ellington Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $14.56.

About Ellington Financial

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.