Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE:NLY) Shares Sold by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its holdings in Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE:NLY) by 7.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 258,310 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 22,065 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Annaly Capital Management were worth $4,727,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of NLY. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 209.9% during the 3rd quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,255 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 850 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. purchased a new position in Annaly Capital Management in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Annaly Capital Management by 78.5% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,630 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 717 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 34.4% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,143 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 549 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 29.3% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,425 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 549 shares in the last quarter. 51.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Annaly Capital Management Price Performance

Annaly Capital Management stock opened at $21.63 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $20.03. Annaly Capital Management, Inc. has a 12 month low of $17.67 and a 12 month high of $22.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.51 billion, a PE ratio of 13.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 1.53.

Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.05. Annaly Capital Management had a net margin of 20.70% and a return on equity of 14.95%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Annaly Capital Management, Inc. will post 2.81 EPS for the current year.

Annaly Capital Management Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.95%. This is an increase from Annaly Capital Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Annaly Capital Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 176.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on NLY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Annaly Capital Management from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays began coverage on Annaly Capital Management in a report on Monday, January 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $19.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $22.00 price target on shares of Annaly Capital Management in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Annaly Capital Management in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.44.

About Annaly Capital Management

Annaly Capital Management, Inc, a diversified capital manager, engages in mortgage finance. The company invests in agency mortgage-backed securities collateralized by residential mortgages; non-agency residential whole loans and securitized products within the residential and commercial markets; mortgage servicing rights; agency commercial mortgage-backed securities; to-be-announced forward contracts; residential mortgage loans; and agency or private label credit risk transfer securities.