11,008 Shares in Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) Bought by Motiv8 Investments LLC

Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 11,008 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $133,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EFC. McIlrath & Eck LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ellington Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at about $62,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ellington Financial during the third quarter worth approximately $68,000. Atom Investors LP bought a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $130,000. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $135,000. Finally, CenterStar Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ellington Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $136,000. Institutional investors own 55.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on EFC shares. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $14.00 price target on shares of Ellington Financial in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. B. Riley upgraded Ellington Financial to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ellington Financial currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $13.58.

Ellington Financial Price Performance

EFC stock opened at $13.35 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.19 and a beta of 1.97. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $12.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $12.62. The company has a current ratio of 37.04, a quick ratio of 37.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.87. Ellington Financial Inc. has a 12-month low of $10.88 and a 12-month high of $13.46.

Ellington Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.69%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Ellington Financial’s payout ratio is 119.08%.

About Ellington Financial

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.