MFA Financial, Inc. $MFA Shares Sold by Van ECK Associates Corp

Key Points

• Van ECK Associates cut its MFA Financial stake by 12.2% in the second quarter, selling 144,093 shares and retaining 1.03 million shares valued at approximately $10 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds still own 65.28% of the company.
• MFA Financial shares opened at $8.69, near their 52-week low, while the company offers a quarterly dividend of $0.36 per share, representing a 16.6% annualized yield. Its payout ratio is 144%.
• Analyst sentiment remains moderately bullish, with four Buy ratings and three Holds. The consensus price target is $10.46, compared with the current share price.

Van ECK Associates Corp trimmed its stake in MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA - Free Report) by 12.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,034,189 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 144,093 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp owned approximately 1.02% of MFA Financial worth $10,021,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in MFA Financial in the second quarter valued at $179,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of MFA Financial during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Almitas Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MFA Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,241,000. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new stake in shares of MFA Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,539,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of MFA Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $923,000. 65.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MFA Financial Stock Performance

Shares of MFA opened at $8.69 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $878.45 million, a P/E ratio of 8.69 and a beta of 1.42. The company's fifty day moving average is $9.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.58. MFA Financial, Inc. has a 1 year low of $8.63 and a 1 year high of $10.56.

MFA Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 16.6%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. MFA Financial's payout ratio is 144.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. BTIG Research upgraded MFA Financial from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $10.50 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on MFA Financial from $11.50 to $11.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of MFA Financial in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. William Blair set a $11.00 target price on shares of MFA Financial in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $10.00 target price on shares of MFA Financial in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MFA Financial has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $10.46.

MFA Financial Company Profile

MFA Financial, Inc, headquartered in New York City, is a real estate investment trust that specializes in investing in residential mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities. The company's primary objective is to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns through net interest income and capital appreciation. As a mortgage REIT, MFA Financial focuses on constructing a diversified portfolio of agency and non-agency residential mortgage assets, leveraging its expertise in acquiring, financing and servicing mortgage products.

MFA Financial's investment portfolio encompasses a wide range of mortgage instruments, including adjustable-rate and fixed-rate mortgage loans, interest-only securities, and agency mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by government-sponsored entities.

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