ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) Sees Significant Decrease in Short Interest

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 5,100,000 shares, a decline of 20.3% from the February 13th total of 6,400,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,340,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. Approximately 5.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on ARR shares. BTIG Research started coverage on ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research note on Monday, February 10th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. B. Riley upgraded shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $20.50.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Robert C. Hain sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.07, for a total value of $45,175.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 6,793 shares in the company, valued at $122,749.51. The trade was a 26.90 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Stewart J. Paperin sold 24,852 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.78, for a total transaction of $466,720.56. Following the transaction, the director now owns 363 shares in the company, valued at $6,817.14. The trade was a 98.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ARMOUR Residential REIT

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of ARR. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in the 4th quarter worth about $19,865,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 17.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,046,157 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $114,031,000 after purchasing an additional 895,433 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 86.3% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,628,903 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $30,721,000 after purchasing an additional 754,582 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 486.7% during the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 814,009 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $15,352,000 after purchasing an additional 675,259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 1,204.2% during the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 350,145 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $6,604,000 after buying an additional 323,298 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 54.17% of the company's stock.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of ARR traded down $0.14 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $18.67. 1,353,375 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,517,557. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.88 billion, a P/E ratio of -43.42 and a beta of 1.53. The business's 50-day moving average price is $18.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.22. ARMOUR Residential REIT has a 1 year low of $17.35 and a 1 year high of $21.93.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 15.43%. ARMOUR Residential REIT's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -669.77%.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Company 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.