Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC Invests $1.21 Million in Ellington Financial Inc. $EFC

Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 88,884 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,210,000. Ellington Financial makes up approximately 0.6% of Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC owned 0.07% of Ellington Financial as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Ellington Financial by 15.1% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 179,803 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,384,000 after purchasing an additional 23,553 shares during the period. Creative Planning acquired a new stake in Ellington Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at $176,000. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in Ellington Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at $166,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its stake in Ellington Financial by 16.6% during the 2nd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 27,434 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 3,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Ellington Financial during the second quarter worth $138,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Ellington Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. BTIG Research lowered shares of Ellington Financial from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ellington Financial in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Ellington Financial from $14.00 to $14.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Ellington Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $14.50.

Ellington Financial Stock Performance

NYSE EFC opened at $13.59 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $13.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.04. The firm has a market cap of $1.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.28 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.39, a current ratio of 52.06 and a quick ratio of 52.06. Ellington Financial Inc. has a 1 year low of $11.27 and a 1 year high of $14.12.

Ellington Financial (NYSE:EFC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.14. Ellington Financial had a net margin of 52.43% and a return on equity of 16.61%. The company had revenue of $134.11 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $114.59 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Ellington Financial Inc. will post 2.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ellington Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.5%. Ellington Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 95.12%.

Ellington Financial Company Profile

Ellington Financial, Inc (NYSE: EFC) is a mortgage real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on generating attractive risk-adjusted returns through investments in residential and commercial mortgage-related assets. Established in 2013, the company is externally managed by Ellington Financial Management, L.P., a subsidiary of Ellington Management Group, an alternative asset management firm. EFC’s core strategy centers on actively acquiring and managing agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS), mortgage servicing rights, residential whole loans, and other structured finance instruments, including asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS).

The company employs leverage and structured financing tools—such as repurchase agreements and secured credit facilities—to enhance portfolio yield while maintaining focus on risk mitigation.