ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,620,000 shares, a growth of 29.8% from the February 28th total of 5,100,000 shares. Currently, 6.6% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 2,590,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.6 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. B. Riley raised shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a report on Monday, February 10th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $20.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at ARMOUR Residential REIT

In other ARMOUR Residential REIT news, Director Stewart J. Paperin sold 24,852 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.78, for a total transaction of $466,720.56. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 363 shares in the company, valued at $6,817.14. This trade represents a 98.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Robert C. Hain sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.07, for a total value of $45,175.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 6,793 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $122,749.51. This trade represents a 26.90 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ARMOUR Residential REIT

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ARR. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in ARMOUR Residential REIT in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $190,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in the fourth quarter valued at $143,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new position in ARMOUR Residential REIT in the fourth quarter worth $330,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its stake in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 54.0% during the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 31,998 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $603,000 after buying an additional 11,218 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP bought a new stake in ARMOUR Residential REIT in the 4th quarter valued at $641,000. 54.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Price Performance

ARR stock traded up $0.08 on Monday, reaching $17.13. 2,490,945 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,624,794. ARMOUR Residential REIT has a 12 month low of $16.73 and a 12 month high of $21.93. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $18.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a PE ratio of -39.84 and a beta of 1.53.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 16.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. ARMOUR Residential REIT’s dividend payout ratio is currently -669.77%.

About ARMOUR Residential REIT

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS) in the United States. Its securities portfolio primarily consists of the United States Government-sponsored entity's (GSE) and the Government National Mortgage Administration's issued or guaranteed securities backed by fixed rate, hybrid adjustable rate, and adjustable-rate home loans; and unsecured notes and bonds issued by the GSE and the United States treasuries, as well as money market instruments.