Federal Agricultural Mortgage (NYSE:AGM) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume - Still a Buy?

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (NYSE:AGM - Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Tuesday . 111,631 shares traded hands during mid-day 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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Trading Down 1.8%

The firm has a market cap of $2.16 billion, a PE ratio of 12.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.99. The company's fifty day moving average price is $189.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $190.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage (NYSE:AGM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 12.65% and a return on equity of 18.77%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation will post 17.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 16th were issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 16th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.04%. 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 Federal Agricultural Mortgage stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 9th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $453,416.09. The trade was a 23.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Sara Louise Faivre-Davis sold 350 shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.26, for a total transaction of $67,291.00. Following the sale, the director owned 1,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $336,647.26. This trade represents a 16.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.21% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Federal Agricultural Mortgage

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Federal Agricultural Mortgage in the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. KBC Group NV purchased a new stake in 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 holdings in Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 106.3% in the first quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 751 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $141,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares during the period. 68.03% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.