Lument Finance Trust, Inc. Sees Surge in Short Interest

Lument Finance Trust, Inc. (NYSE:LFT) experienced a notable increase in short interest during February. As of February 15th, the total short interest reached 86,800 shares, marking a significant growth of 27.5% from the previous total of 68,100 shares reported on January 31st. With an average daily trading volume of 118,200 shares, the current days-to-cover ratio stands at 0.7 days.

Institutional Investment Activity

Recently, several large investors have adjusted their positions in Lument Finance Trust. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. made a new investment in the third quarter, valued at approximately $32,000. Similarly, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Lument Finance Trust during the fourth quarter, estimated at $48,000. Another investor, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd, also bought shares worth $48,000 in the same quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. made a new investment in Lument Finance Trust valued at $49,000 during the fourth quarter. Additionally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its holdings by 72.4% in the third quarter, now owning 26,198 shares worth $66,000 after buying an additional 11,001 shares in the last quarter. In total, institutional investors now control 19.45% of the company's shares.

Stock Performance Overview

On Wednesday, shares of Lument Finance Trust traded down by $0.01, reaching a price of $2.72. A total of 92,264 shares changed hands, compared to an average volume of 102,373. Currently, Lument Finance Trust has a market capitalization of $142.23 million, a P/E ratio of 7.56, and a beta of 1.07. The company's current and quick ratios are both reported at 6.29, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.39. Over the past year, the stock has registered a low of $2.16 and a high of $2.80. Its 50-day moving average is $2.64, while the 200-day average stands at $2.58.

Dividend Announcement

Lument Finance Trust has recently declared a quarterly dividend. This dividend, amounting to $0.09 per share, was paid to shareholders on January 15th, with the record date set for December 31st. The ex-dividend date was also December 31st. This translates to an annualized dividend of $0.36, resulting in a yield of 13.24%. The current dividend payout ratio for the company is 88.89%.

Company Overview

Lument Finance Trust, Inc. operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on investing in, financing, and managing a range of commercial real estate (CRE) debt investments within the United States. The firm primarily invests in transitional floating rate CRE mortgage loans on middle-market multi-family assets along with other CRE-related investments, which include mezzanine loans, preferred equity, commercial mortgage-backed securities, fixed-rate loans, construction loans, and various other CRE debt instruments.

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