Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE:NLY) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE:NLY) has recently been reviewed by nine financial analysts, resulting in an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy." According to MarketBeat.com, one analyst has advised investors to hold the stock, while eight analysts have encouraged buying shares of the company. The average target price for shares over the next year among the brokerages that have revised their forecasts is set at $21.50.

The stock has been a focal point of several analyst assessments lately. On September 20, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Annaly's rating from "equal weight" to "overweight," increasing their price target from $19.00 to $23.00 in their research report. On December 9, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price for the company from $21.00 to $20.00 but still maintained an "overweight" rating. Meanwhile, on October 31, Argus raised their rating for Annaly from "hold" to "buy," setting a new price target of $21.00 in their report.

Institutional Investors Weigh In

Recently, various institutional investors and hedge funds have adjusted their stakes in Annaly Capital Management. For instance, Avior Wealth Management LLC has increased its holdings by 209.9% in the third quarter, now owning 1,255 shares valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 850 shares. UMB Bank n.a. has also raised its position in the firm by 70.2%, now holding 1,568 shares worth $31,000.

Quarry LP made a new investment in Annaly Capital Management, with shares valued at $36,000 acquired in the second quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp boosted their stake by 31.8% in the third quarter, now owning 2,390 shares valued at $48,000 after adding 576 shares. Additionally, McIlrath & Eck LLC has also taken a new stake in the company worth around $63,000. Overall, 51.56% of the company's stock is held by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Price Performance

On the stock market, Annaly Capital Management opened at $18.94. The company's shares have reflected specific averages, with a 50-day simple moving average at $19.51 and a 200-day average at $19.81. The stock recorded a low of $17.67 and a high of $21.11 over the past year. The market capitalization stands at $10.62 billion, with a PE ratio of -270.57 and a beta of 1.51.

Annaly recently released its quarterly earnings data on October 23, reporting earnings per share (EPS) of $0.66, which fell slightly short of analysts' expectations of $0.67 by $0.01. The company generated revenues of $1.23 billion against projections of $212.00 million. Annaly Capital reported a return on equity of 14.75% and a net margin of 2.59%. Analysts forecast that the company will achieve an EPS of 2.65 for the current year.

Dividend Announcement

Moreover, Annaly Capital Management announced a quarterly dividend scheduled for payment on January 31. Shareholders on record by December 31 will receive a dividend of $0.65 per share, with an ex-dividend date of the same day. This results in an annualized dividend of $2.60, yielding 13.73%. The company's dividend payout ratio currently sits at -3,714.29%.

About Annaly Capital Management

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. operates as a diversified capital manager engaged in mortgage finance. The company invests in various sectors, including agency mortgage-backed securities tied to residential mortgages, non-agency residential whole loans, mortgage servicing rights, agency commercial mortgage-backed securities, and forward contracts, among others.

Annaly, Stocks, Investment