Estate Counselors LLC Buys Shares of 89,945 Annaly Capital Management Inc $NLY

Key Points

• Estate Counselors LLC acquired 89,945 shares of Annaly Capital Management during the first quarter, valued at approximately $1.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 51.56% of the mortgage REIT.
• Annaly reported quarterly EPS of $0.79, exceeding the $0.75 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $892.86 million versus the $639.80 million forecast.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.75 per share, equivalent to an annualized $3.00 payout and a 13.3% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $24.33.

Estate Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management Inc (NYSE:NLY - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 89,945 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $1,902,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Annaly Capital Management by 76.9% during the fourth quarter. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC now owns 1,150 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 585.6% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,330 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 1,136 shares in the last quarter. Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new position in shares of Annaly Capital Management in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 361.3% during the 4th quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,504 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,178 shares during the last quarter. 51.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Annaly Capital Management Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:NLY opened at $22.59 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $16.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.66, a PEG ratio of 6.73 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $22.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.45. Annaly Capital Management Inc has a twelve month low of $20.00 and a twelve month high of $24.52.

Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.04. Annaly Capital Management had a return on equity of 16.00% and a net margin of 43.66%.The company had revenue of $892.86 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $639.80 million. Analysts anticipate that Annaly Capital Management Inc will post 3.03 EPS for the current year.

Annaly Capital Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.75 per share. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.3%. This is an increase from Annaly Capital Management's previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. Annaly Capital Management's payout ratio is presently 75.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Annaly Capital Management from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Annaly Capital Management from $26.00 to $24.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Annaly Capital Management in a research report on Friday, July 10th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $23.00 price target (up from $22.50) on shares of Annaly Capital Management in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Annaly Capital Management from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $24.33.

Annaly Capital Management Profile

Annaly Capital Management, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in generating income through investment in mortgage-related assets. The company's core business activities include the acquisition, financing, and management of a diversified portfolio of agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), and other real estate debt instruments. Annaly seeks to profit from the spread between the interest earned on its mortgage investments and its cost of funds, as well as from capital gains realized through active portfolio management.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in New York City, Annaly has grown to become one of the largest mortgage REITs in the United States.

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