ARMOUR Residential REIT (NYSE:ARR) Sets New 52-Week Low – Time to Sell?

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $16.55 and last traded at $16.75, with a volume of 3247025 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $17.03.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ARR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com cut ARMOUR Residential REIT from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. JMP Securities reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research note on Monday, February 10th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, B. Riley raised shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $20.50.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -35.01 and a beta of 1.53. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $18.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $18.96.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 19.13%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. ARMOUR Residential REIT’s payout ratio is currently -669.77%.

Insider Transactions at ARMOUR Residential REIT

In related news, Director Robert C. Hain sold 2,500 shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT stock in a transaction on Monday, January 13th. The shares were 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. This trade represents a 26.90 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in ARMOUR Residential REIT during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its position in 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 valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,596 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT by 35.2% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,695 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 702 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC bought a new position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in the third quarter worth approximately $61,000. Finally, KBC Group NV increased its stake 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 during the period. 54.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About ARMOUR Residential REIT

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.