ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) Short Interest Update

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,400,000 shares, a growth of 58.0% from the January 31st total of 4,050,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,150,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.0 days.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ARR traded down $0.09 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $18.57. 2,392,045 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,453,014. The company has a market cap of $1.87 billion, a PE ratio of -43.17 and a beta of 1.48. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $18.78 and a 200 day moving average of $19.33. ARMOUR Residential REIT has a 52-week low of $17.35 and a 52-week high of $21.93.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 15.51%. ARMOUR Residential REIT’s dividend payout ratio is currently -669.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on ARR shares. StockNews.com lowered ARMOUR Residential REIT from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. B. Riley raised ARMOUR Residential REIT to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. BTIG Research started coverage on ARMOUR Residential REIT in a report on Monday, February 10th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $20.50.

Insider Transactions at ARMOUR Residential REIT

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ARMOUR Residential REIT

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 927.9% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,768 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 1,596 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 35.2% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,695 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 702 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in the third quarter worth $61,000. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 117.8% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,465 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $65,000 after buying an additional 1,874 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.17% of the company’s stock.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Company Profile

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.