Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY) Releases Earnings Results

Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The real estate investment trust reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.02, Zacks reports. Annaly Capital Management had a net margin of 34.02% and a return on equity of 15.80%.

Annaly Capital Management Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE NLY traded down $0.05 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $22.61. The company had a trading volume of 7,003,554 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,131,878. Annaly Capital Management has a 52 week low of $17.76 and a 52 week high of $24.52. The business’s 50-day moving average is $22.23 and its 200-day moving average is $22.28. The stock has a market cap of $16.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.09 and a beta of 1.23.

Annaly Capital Management Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.4%. Annaly Capital Management’s dividend payout ratio is presently 100.72%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on NLY shares. JonesTrading boosted their target price on shares of Annaly Capital Management from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Annaly Capital Management from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $25.00 target price (up from $23.00) on shares of Annaly Capital Management in a report on Thursday, January 29th. BTIG Research raised shares of Annaly Capital Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $25.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Annaly Capital Management from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $23.89.

Insider Activity

In other Annaly Capital Management news, COO Steven Francis Campbell sold 26,491 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.83, for a total transaction of $604,789.53. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 178,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,063,740. This represents a 12.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Serena Wolfe sold 16,536 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.14, for a total transaction of $382,643.04. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 173,081 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,005,094.34. This represents a 8.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 71,252 shares of company stock valued at $1,639,995. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Annaly Capital Management

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NLY. Royal Capital Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Annaly Capital Management by 50.0% in the 4th quarter. Royal Capital Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,850 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $332,000 after buying an additional 4,950 shares during the period. Prosperity Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management during the third quarter worth approximately $290,000. Walleye Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 47.6% during the second quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 14,784 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $278,000 after purchasing an additional 4,765 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Annaly Capital Management by 14.7% in the fourth quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 11,524 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $258,000 after acquiring an additional 1,480 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Storgate LLC purchased a new position in shares of Annaly Capital Management in the fourth quarter valued at $235,000. 51.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Annaly Capital Management

Annaly Capital Management, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in generating income through investment in mortgage-related assets. The company’s core business activities include the acquisition, financing, and management of a diversified portfolio of agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), and other real estate debt instruments. Annaly seeks to profit from the spread between the interest earned on its mortgage investments and its cost of funds, as well as from capital gains realized through active portfolio management.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in New York City, Annaly has grown to become one of the largest mortgage REITs in the United States.