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

Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,960,000 shares, an increase of 28.4% from the December 15th total of 4,640,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 857,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.9 days.

Ellington Financial Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE:EFC traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $12.56. 722,241 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 954,451. The company has a quick ratio of 37.04, a current ratio of 37.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.87. Ellington Financial has a 52 week low of $10.88 and a 52 week high of $13.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.58 and a beta of 1.97. The firm's 50 day moving average is $12.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.60.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $37.95 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.33 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ellington Financial will post 1.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Ellington Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 31st will be issued a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.43%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 31st. Ellington Financial's payout ratio is presently 119.08%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, B. Riley upgraded Ellington Financial to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ellington Financial has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $13.58.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in Ellington Financial by 7.2% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 247,398 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,989,000 after purchasing an additional 16,722 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Ellington Financial by 12.7% during the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 23,813 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $288,000 after buying an additional 2,688 shares during the period. MAS Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ellington Financial by 4.6% in the second quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 38,972 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $471,000 after acquiring an additional 1,707 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in shares of Ellington Financial by 2.7% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 70,597 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $853,000 after acquiring an additional 1,824 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its stake in Ellington Financial by 14.9% in the second quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 187,089 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,260,000 after acquiring an additional 24,204 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.