Federal Agricultural Mortgage (NYSE:AGM) Sees Strong Trading Volume - Should You Buy?

Shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. (NYSE:AGM - Get Free Report) saw unusually-high trading volume on Monday . Approximately 149,017 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 180% from the previous session's volume of 53,257 shares.The stock last traded at $189.03 and had previously closed at $184.25.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a "market perform" rating and set a $215.00 price target (down from $230.00) on shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage in a report on Monday, May 12th.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Trading Up 1.2%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 0.49 and a quick ratio of 0.49. The company has a market capitalization of $2.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $181.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $191.98.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage (NYSE:AGM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The credit services provider reported $4.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.00 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $96.79 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $94.33 million. Federal Agricultural Mortgage had a net margin of 12.75% and a return on equity of 19.43%. On average, equities analysts expect that Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. will post 17.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 16th. Federal Agricultural Mortgage's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.08%.

Insider Transactions at Federal Agricultural Mortgage

In other news, Director Eric T. Mckissack sold 728 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.37, for a total value of $140,045.36. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 2,357 shares in the company, valued at approximately $453,416.09. This represents a 23.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Sara Louise Faivre-Davis sold 350 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.26, for a total value of $67,291.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at $336,647.26. This trade represents a 16.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AGM. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 1,589.4% during the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 356,001 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $70,114,000 after purchasing an additional 334,928 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,914,000. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its stake in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 12.4% in the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 255,198 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $50,261,000 after acquiring an additional 28,215 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage in the 1st quarter worth approximately $4,667,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 11.0% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 244,550 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $45,856,000 after acquiring an additional 24,289 shares in the last quarter. 68.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Company Profile

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation provides a secondary market for various loans made to borrowers in the United States. It operates through four segments: Corporate AgFinance, Farm & Ranch, Rural Utilities, and Renewable Energy. The company's Agricultural Finance line of business engages in purchasing and retaining eligible loans and securities; guaranteeing the payment of principal and interest on securities that represent interests in or obligations secured by pools of eligible loans; servicing eligible loans; and issuing LTSPCs for eligible loans.

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