Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Put Options on AGNC Investment (NASDAQ:AGNC)
by Renee Jackson · The Cerbat GemAGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC – Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock traders bought 167,320 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 318% compared to the average daily volume of 40,007 put options.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of AGNC Investment in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of AGNC Investment from $10.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of AGNC Investment from $11.00 to $11.50 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $12.00 price objective (up from $11.00) on shares of AGNC Investment in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of AGNC Investment from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AGNC Investment currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $11.03.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AGNC
AGNC Investment Price Performance
Shares of AGNC stock opened at $9.75 on Friday. AGNC Investment has a 12-month low of $7.85 and a 12-month high of $12.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.96 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $11.23 and a 200-day moving average of $10.62.
AGNC Investment (NASDAQ:AGNC – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $1.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $354.75 million. AGNC Investment had a return on equity of 18.32% and a net margin of 47.40%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that AGNC Investment will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.
AGNC Investment Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 14.8%. AGNC Investment’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 102.86%.
Insider Activity
In other news, EVP Bernice Bell sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.14, for a total transaction of $303,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 491,728 shares in the company, valued at $5,969,577.92. The trade was a 4.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Gary D. Kain sold 700,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.91, for a total value of $8,337,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,189,091 shares in the company, valued at $26,072,073.81. This trade represents a 24.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 775,000 shares of company stock valued at $9,246,000. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On AGNC Investment
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AGNC. GoalVest Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in AGNC Investment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AGNC Investment by 61.1% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 2,762 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 1,048 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of AGNC Investment during the third quarter worth $29,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of AGNC Investment during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its holdings in shares of AGNC Investment by 110.7% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 3,251 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,708 shares during the period. 38.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
AGNC Investment Company Profile
AGNC Investment Corp. is a self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily acquires and manages a portfolio of residential mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The company employs a leveraged total return strategy, borrowing against its securities to enhance income potential while using interest rate hedges to manage risk. AGNC’s investment objective is to generate attractive monthly dividends and long-term capital appreciation for its shareholders.
Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, AGNC focuses exclusively on U.S.