EMC Capital Management Acquires 3,161 Shares of MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA)

EMC Capital Management grew its position in shares of MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA) by 29.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,888 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,161 shares during the quarter. EMC Capital Management’s holdings in MFA Financial were worth $158,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Creekmur Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MFA Financial during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp grew its position in shares of MFA Financial by 82.7% in the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 2,658 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,203 shares in the last quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new stake in shares of MFA Financial during the first quarter valued at about $34,000. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. lifted its stake in MFA Financial by 47.0% in the 4th quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 6,816 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 2,180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quent Capital LLC boosted its stake in MFA Financial by 17.7% during the first quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 10,031 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $114,000 after buying an additional 1,509 shares during the period. 65.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MFA. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $12.50 price target on shares of MFA Financial in a report on Friday, May 31st. StockNews.com lowered shares of MFA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $12.00.

MFA Financial Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:MFA traded down $0.15 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $10.82. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 767,110 shares, compared to its average volume of 703,751. MFA Financial, Inc. has a 12-month low of $8.41 and a 12-month high of $11.90. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $10.90 and a 200-day moving average of $10.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -133.61 and a beta of 2.15.

MFA Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Investors of record on Friday, June 28th were paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 28th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.94%. MFA Financial’s payout ratio is currently -1,749.78%.

MFA Financial Company Profile

MFA Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a real estate investment trust in the United States. It invests in residential mortgage securities, including non-agency mortgage-backed securities, agency MBS, and credit risk transfer securities; residential whole loans, including purchased performing loans, purchased credit deteriorated, and non-performing loans; and mortgage servicing rights related assets.