Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 2,289 Shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. (NYSE:AGM)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its position in Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. (NYSE:AGM - Free Report) by 5.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,638 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 2,289 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.35% of Federal Agricultural Mortgage worth $7,413,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 22.9% in the 4th quarter. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. now owns 14,036 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $2,764,000 after acquiring an additional 2,611 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,289,000. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 181.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 18,172 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $3,405,000 after buying an additional 11,721 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 333,975 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $65,777,000 after acquiring an additional 14,274 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in Federal Agricultural Mortgage during the 4th quarter worth $394,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.03% of the company's stock.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Stock Performance

Federal Agricultural Mortgage stock traded up $3.53 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $174.42. 49,802 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 44,372. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $190.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $194.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. has a one year low of $159.64 and a one year high of $217.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.90 billion, a PE ratio of 10.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.01.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage (NYSE:AGM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 21st. The credit services provider reported $4.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.17 by $0.46. The company had revenue of $101.26 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $92.81 million. Federal Agricultural Mortgage had a return on equity of 19.43% and a net margin of 12.75%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.10 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. will post 17.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.44%. This is an increase from Federal Agricultural Mortgage's previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. Federal Agricultural Mortgage's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.47%.

Insider Activity

In other Federal Agricultural Mortgage news, Director Robert G. Sexton acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $195.62 per share, with a total value of $195,620.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 13,517 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,644,195.54. This represents a 7.99 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Mitchell A. Johnson sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.21, for a total value of $513,025.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,644 shares in the company, valued at $1,773,835.24. This represents a 22.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.58% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage from $205.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th.

About Federal Agricultural Mortgage

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.