MFA Financial (NYSE:MFA) Sets New 1-Year Low - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• MFA Financial shares fell to a new 52-week low of $8.36, trading below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages at $8.96 and $9.43, respectively.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans positive: four analysts rate the stock a Buy, two Hold, and one Sell. The average price target is $10.46, above the recent trading price, while the overall consensus rating is “Hold.”
• Institutional investors own 65.28% of MFA Financial, with State Street and Corient Private Wealth among investors that recently increased their positions.

Shares of MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $8.36 and last traded at $8.3750, with a volume of 749166 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $8.56.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MFA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. William Blair set a $11.00 target price on shares of MFA Financial in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. BTIG Research upgraded MFA Financial from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $10.50 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Citizens Jmp reduced their target price on MFA Financial from $11.50 to $11.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Citigroup reiterated a "market outperform" rating on shares of MFA Financial in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $10.00 price target on shares of MFA Financial in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MFA Financial has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $10.46.

MFA Financial Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $839.55 million, a P/E ratio of 8.30 and a beta of 1.41. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $8.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.43.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MFA Financial

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MFA. State Street Corp increased its position in MFA Financial by 6.0% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,576,990 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $25,869,000 after acquiring an additional 145,992 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new stake in MFA Financial in the second quarter worth about $226,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in MFA Financial in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Corient Private Wealth LP boosted its position in shares of MFA Financial by 60.1% during the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 172,669 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,679,000 after buying an additional 64,845 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi purchased a new position in shares of MFA Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $130,000. Institutional investors own 65.28% of the company's stock.

About MFA Financial

MFA Financial, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses primarily on residential mortgage assets. The company invests in and manages a portfolio that may include agency and non-agency mortgage-backed securities, residential whole loans, mortgage servicing rights and other residential credit investments.

MFA's investment activities are designed to provide exposure to the U.S. residential housing and mortgage markets. Through its affiliated businesses, the company also participates in residential lending, including financing for single-family rental properties and residential real estate investors.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in New York City, MFA Financial has operated as a publicly traded mortgage REIT since its initial public offering in 1998.

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