MFA Financial (NYSE:MFA) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of MFA Financial (NYSE:MFA) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

Separately, JMP Securities reaffirmed a market outperform rating and set a $12.50 price target on shares of MFA Financial in a research note on Friday, May 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $12.00.

MFA Financial Stock Down 0.6 %

MFA stock opened at $10.54 on Tuesday. MFA Financial has a 12-month low of $8.41 and a 12-month high of $11.90. The company has a 50 day moving average of $10.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.02. The company has a market cap of $1.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -131.73 and a beta of 2.15.

MFA Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 28th. MFA Financial’s dividend payout ratio is -1,749.78%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MFA Financial

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

About MFA Financial

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.