MFA Financial (NYSE:MFA) Hits New 52-Week Low - Here's What Happened

MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $9.36 and last traded at $9.55, with a volume of 1646784 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.55.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on MFA shares. Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of MFA Financial in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com cut MFA Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of MFA Financial from $13.00 to $14.50 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott initiated coverage on MFA Financial in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $14.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $14.00.

MFA Financial Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $1.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.33 and a beta of 2.11. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $10.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $11.50.

MFA Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.89%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. MFA Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 88.05%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MFA Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in MFA Financial by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,081,225 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $13,753,000 after buying an additional 23,852 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in MFA Financial by 6.7% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 448,989 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $5,572,000 after acquiring an additional 28,382 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in MFA Financial by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,407,455 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $30,629,000 after purchasing an additional 21,331 shares during the period. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in MFA Financial by 902.9% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 374,481 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $4,764,000 after purchasing an additional 337,142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zacks Investment Management lifted its position in shares of MFA Financial by 12.7% in the 3rd quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 11,377 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $145,000 after purchasing an additional 1,281 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.28% of the company's stock.

MFA Financial Company Profile

MFA Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a real estate investment trust in the United States. It invests in residential mortgage securities, including non-agency mortgage-backed securities, agency MBS, and credit risk transfer securities; residential whole loans, including purchased performing loans, purchased credit deteriorated, and non-performing loans; and mortgage servicing rights related assets.