Federal Agricultural Mortgage (NYSE:AGM) Sees Large Volume Increase - Should You Buy?

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (NYSE:AGM - Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Tuesday . 111,631 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 90% from the previous session's volume of 58,832 shares.The stock last traded at $199.85 and had previously closed at $198.55.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a PE ratio of 11.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $189.96 and a 200 day moving average of $190.31.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage (NYSE:AGM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The credit services provider reported $4.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.00 by $0.19. Federal Agricultural Mortgage had a return on equity of 18.77% and a net margin of 12.65%. The company had revenue of $96.79 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $94.33 million. Equities analysts predict that Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation will post 17.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 16th were paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 16th. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.37%. Federal Agricultural Mortgage's payout ratio is 37.08%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Federal Agricultural Mortgage

In other Federal Agricultural Mortgage news, Director Eric T. Mckissack sold 728 shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.37, for a total transaction of $140,045.36. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,357 shares of the company's stock, valued at $453,416.09. The trade was a 23.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Sara Louise Faivre-Davis sold 350 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.26, for a total value of $67,291.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at $336,647.26. The trade was a 16.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Federal Agricultural Mortgage

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage in the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. KBC Group NV acquired a new position in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage in the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 116.1% in the first quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 242 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new stake in Federal Agricultural Mortgage in the first quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC grew its stake in Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 106.3% during the first quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 751 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $141,000 after buying an additional 387 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.03% of the company's stock.

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.