Franklin Resources Inc. Makes New Investment in ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR)

Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 48,727 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $919,000. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.09% of ARMOUR Residential REIT at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Kovack Advisors Inc. raised its stake in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 21,861 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $412,000 after acquiring an additional 1,003 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 14.2% during the fourth quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 11,904 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $225,000 after purchasing an additional 1,481 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 13,118 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 1,600 shares during the period. Finally, Amalgamated Bank boosted its position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 16,116 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $304,000 after purchasing an additional 1,679 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.17% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ARR has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com cut ARMOUR Residential REIT from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research note on Monday, February 10th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. JMP Securities reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, B. Riley upgraded ARMOUR Residential REIT to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ARMOUR Residential REIT has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $20.50.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Stock Performance

NYSE ARR traded up $0.32 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $14.29. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,387,488 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,771,673. The stock has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of -33.22 and a beta of 1.23. The company's 50-day moving average is $17.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.51. ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $13.18 and a fifty-two week high of $21.93.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 29th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 20.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. ARMOUR Residential REIT's payout ratio is currently -669.77%.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Profile

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS) in the United States. Its securities portfolio primarily consists of the United States Government-sponsored entity's (GSE) and the Government National Mortgage Administration's issued or guaranteed securities backed by fixed rate, hybrid adjustable rate, and adjustable-rate home loans; and unsecured notes and bonds issued by the GSE and the United States treasuries, as well as money market instruments.