ARMOUR Residential REIT (NYSE:ARR) Shares Down 6.8% – Time to Sell?

Shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) were down 6.8% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $13.35 and last traded at $13.38. Approximately 2,152,233 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 22% from the average daily volume of 2,776,678 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.36.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

ARMOUR Residential REIT Trading Up 3.7 %

The company has a market capitalization of $1.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -34.54 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a fifty day moving average of $18.24 and a 200-day moving average of $18.82.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 19.34%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. ARMOUR Residential REIT’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -669.77%.

Insider Activity at ARMOUR Residential REIT

In related news, Director Robert C. Hain sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.07, for a total value of $45,175.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 6,793 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $122,749.51. This represents a 26.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of ARMOUR Residential REIT

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ARR. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new position in ARMOUR Residential REIT in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 927.9% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,768 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,596 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 35.2% in the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,695 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 702 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC acquired a new position in ARMOUR Residential REIT during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $61,000. Finally, KBC Group NV increased its holdings in 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 valued at $65,000 after buying an additional 1,874 shares during 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.