Federal Agricultural Mortgage (NYSE:AGM) Trading 6.6% Higher After Strong Earnings

Shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. (NYSE:AGM) traded up 6.6% on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $206.15 and last traded at $208.50. 15,149 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 52% from the average session volume of 31,388 shares. The stock had previously closed at $195.67.

The credit services provider reported $4.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.17 by $0.46. Federal Agricultural Mortgage had a return on equity of 20.14% and a net margin of 12.59%. The company had revenue of $101.26 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $92.81 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.10 earnings per share.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from Federal Agricultural Mortgage’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.88%. Federal Agricultural Mortgage’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Federal Agricultural Mortgage

In other Federal Agricultural Mortgage news, CEO Bradford T. Nordholm sold 5,073 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.37, for a total transaction of $1,082,426.01. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 41,104 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,770,360.48. This trade represents a 10.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Federal Agricultural Mortgage

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Point72 DIFC Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 180.0% during the third quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 364 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage during the fourth quarter worth about $100,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 7.0% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,004 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $198,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 7.3% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,106 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $207,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.03% of the company’s stock.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $196.77 and a 200-day moving average of $194.42. The stock has a market cap of $2.27 billion, a PE ratio of 13.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.08.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Company Profile

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.