AlphaQuest LLC Sells 69,726 Shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR)

AlphaQuest LLC lessened its holdings in ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE:ARR) by 74.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 23,617 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 69,726 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in ARMOUR Residential REIT were worth $445,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new stake in ARMOUR Residential REIT during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC purchased a new position in shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT during the third quarter valued at approximately $61,000. KBC Group NV grew its holdings in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 117.8% during 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 in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its position in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 304.3% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 6,720 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $137,000 after buying an additional 5,058 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC lifted its stake in ARMOUR Residential REIT by 36.5% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,486 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $153,000 after acquiring an additional 2,003 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 54.17% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert C. Hain sold 2,500 shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 13th. The stock was 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 trade represents a 26.90 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stewart J. Paperin sold 24,852 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.78, for a total transaction of $466,720.56. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 363 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,817.14. This trade represents a 98.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ARR opened at $18.62 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.87 billion, a P/E ratio of -43.29 and a beta of 1.53. The company’s 50-day moving average is $18.77 and its 200 day moving average is $19.27. ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $17.35 and a fifty-two week high of $21.93.

ARMOUR Residential REIT Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 15.47%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. ARMOUR Residential REIT’s payout ratio is -669.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on ARR shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research report on Monday, February 10th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. JMP Securities reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of ARMOUR Residential REIT in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, B. Riley upgraded ARMOUR Residential REIT to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. 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 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.