MFA FINANCIAL INC (MFA)
Financials · mortgage REITs · NYSE
MFA Financial is a mortgage REIT investing in a diverse portfolio of residential whole loans and mortgage-backed securities while operating a specialized mortgage banking business.
What MFA FINANCIAL INC does
MFA Financial is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests in, manages, and finances residential mortgage assets. Its portfolio consists primarily of residential whole loans, mortgage-backed securities, and other mortgage-related investments. The company also operates Lima One Capital, a mortgage banking business focused on providing financing for residential real estate investors.
Themes: mortgage REITs, housing market, residential mortgage finance, real estate investing, interest rate hedging
Fundamentals
- Price$7.18 as of 2026-10-08 close
- Market cap$726M as of 2026-07-31 (share count; price 2026-10-08)
- 1-year return-21.7% 2025-10-08 close $9.17 → 2026-10-08 close $7.18
- P/E5.07 as of 2026-10-08
- ROE+9.7% FY2025, SEC XBRL
- Debt / equity6.56 as of 2026-09-03
- Revenue growth (YoY)-23.7% as of 2026-09-03
- Beta0.74 as of 2026-09-03
- Last reported earnings2026-08-05 SEC EDGAR Form 8-K (Item 2.02)
Dividend: yield +13.4%; 2-year non-decreasing per-share dividend streak (SEC XBRL).
How MFA compares in its sector
- price-to-earnings ratiobottom 10% 513 covered Financials peers, as of 2026-10-08
- return on equitymiddle range 559 covered Financials peers, as of 2026-09-03
- indicated dividend yieldtop 10% 468 covered Financials peers, as of 2026-09-03
Position among covered Financials companies that report each metric (minimum 5 peers). A relative position within our covered catalog — not a valuation, quality, or investment judgment. A higher percentile is simply a higher value (for P/E, more expensive on earnings — never "better"). Informational only.
Dividend coverage (FY2025)
Exceeded at least one reported measure. In FY2025, MFA's dividend exceeded at least one reported measure of what it earned or generated (earnings payout 84%, operating-cash-flow payout 194%). A payout above 100% in one year is not necessarily unsustainable, but it is not fully covered by that measure.
- Earnings payout84% dividends / net income
- Operating-cash-flow payout194% dividends / operating cash flow — capital spending was not reported, so this does not subtract it
Coverage derived from reported SEC EDGAR XBRL figures for FY2025 (dividends paid vs. net income and free cash flow, same fiscal year). This describes PAST coverage for one fiscal year — it does not predict whether a dividend will be maintained, raised, or cut, and a one-year payout ratio can be distorted by non-recurring items. Informational only — not financial advice.
How MFA FINANCIAL INC looks technically
MFA FINANCIAL INC (MFA) is trading 23.9% below its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a long-term downtrend. Its 50-day average crossed below its 200-day average about 66 trading days ago — a "death cross", a bearish long-term signal. A strong downtrend is in place — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 56, with sellers in control. Momentum is beaten down — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 16, in oversold territory (below 30). It made a new 20-day low about 2 trading days ago. It is 2.4% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year).
Trend
8
| Distance from the 200-day | it is trading 23.9% below its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a long-term downtrend | -23.9% |
|---|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | its average price over the last 50 trading days — a short-term trend line — is $8.60 | $8.60 |
| 200-day moving average | its average price over the last 200 trading days — the long-term trend line — is $9.44 | $9.44 |
| Swing structure | each recent peak has been lower than the one before it and each dip deeper — the pattern chart-watchers call a downtrend, which describes where price has already been and not where it goes next | lower highs and lower lows |
| Last swing turn | its last significant turn was a swing low 37 calendar days ago — the swings before that are what the structure reading is measured on | 37 sessions |
| Wave structure | its recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in the fourth leg, a pullback against that downward direction; the labelling fails if price closes above 9.11. It is the only labelling that fits, though not with textbook proportions, and it describes the swings already printed, not what comes next. | possible downward five-wave sequence, in wave 4 (atypical proportions) |
| Since the 50/200 cross | its 50-day average crossed below its 200-day average about 66 trading days ago — a "death cross", a bearish long-term signal | 66 sessions |
| Trend strength (14-day ADX) | a strong downtrend is in place — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 56, with sellers in control | 55.5 |
Momentum
3
| 14-day RSI | momentum is beaten down — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 16, in oversold territory (below 30) | 16.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Position in its 14-day range | it is trading near the bottom of its 14-day range ($7.01 to $8.61) — its "stochastic" reading is 11 out of 100, where 0 would mean closing exactly at the 14-session low and 100 exactly at the high. This measures WHERE the price sits inside its recent range, which is a different question from the RSI beside it: RSI is a momentum gauge, measuring how FAST the price has been moving, so a stock can drift quietly to the bottom of its range with an ordinary RSI, or fall sharply and still sit in the middle. It has been climbing within that range over the last few sessions. | 10.6 |
| Since the MACD crossed zero | MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, is in negative territory (momentum leaning bearish) | 21 sessions |
Range
12
| 52-week high | its highest closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days) was $10.43 | $10.43 |
|---|---|---|
| From the 52-week high | it is 31.2% below its 52-week high (its highest price of the past year) | -31.2% |
| Above the 52-week low | it is 2.4% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year) | +2.4% |
| Below the 52-week high | it is 31.2% below its highest point of the past year | 31.2% |
| Since a 20-day breakout | it made a new 20-day low about 2 trading days ago | 2 sessions |
| Since a 55-day breakout | it made a new 55-day low about 2 trading days ago | 2 sessions |
| All-time high | its highest closing price on record is $44.28 (set on 2008-02-08) | $44.28 |
| Given back of the 52-week move | over the past year its closes ranged ($7.15 to $10.39), and it has recovered essentially none of its fall from last year’s high — 1% of it. Chart-watchers call 61.8%-65% given back the "golden pocket" — for this company that is $9.15 to $9.26. It is watched widely enough that orders cluster there, which is the honest reason it matters; it is not a forecast. | 0.9% |
| From the all-time high | it is 83.8% below its all-time high | -83.8% |
| Nearest price level | it is trading 23.8% below a resistance level at $8.89 — a price it turned at 7 times since 2025-08-06, most recently on 2026-09-08. Since 2024-10-08 it has 0 such levels below the current price and 9 above. Levels like these describe where the price has reversed or paused before; they are not a forecast of where it will go. | +23.8% |
| All-time low | its lowest closing price on record is $1.28 (set on 2020-03-24) | $1.28 |
| Above the all-time low | it is 460.9% above its all-time low | +460.9% |
Volatility
5
| Band width vs its own 6 months | day-to-day price swings are unusually wide versus its own recent history (wider than about 99% of the past ~6 months) | 99th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Typical daily range | in a typical session it travels about $0.2036 between its high and its low — about 2.8% of its price. That is its "average true range" over the last 14 sessions, which also counts the distance from the previous close, so a day that opens well away from yesterday counts as the large move it was | $0.2036 |
| Bollinger bands (20-day, ±2σ) | most of its recent trading has stayed between about $7.08 and $8.98 — the "Bollinger bands", a range drawn two standard deviations either side of its 20-day average price, which widens when the stock gets more volatile and narrows when it settles | $7.08 – $8.03 – $8.98 |
| Typical daily range (% of price) | its price moves about 2.8% in a typical session — calmer than most companies we cover. This is the average gap between a session's high and low over the last 14 sessions, counting overnight moves, expressed against the current price so it can be compared with companies trading at any price | 2.8% |
| Stretch from the 200-day average | it is trading 11.1 daily ranges below its 200-day average price (23.9% below it in plain percentage terms) — a way of asking how far it has stretched from its own average in units of how far it normally moves in a day, so a calm company and a jumpy one can be compared on the same scale | 11.1 daily ranges below its 200-day average |
Volume
1
| Volume vs its 30-day average | trading volume is about normal versus its 30-day average | 1.71× |
|---|
Analyst
2
| Change in the average price target | analysts' average price target is unchanged from the prior reading | 0.0% |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the consensus rating | not available for this company yet | n/a |
Candlestick patterns
1
| Since a doji | 7 sessions ago it opened and closed at almost the same price after trading through a wider range — a "doji", the classic picture of buyers and sellers finishing the session level | 7 sessions ago |
|---|
Price gaps
2
| Gap at the open | it opened on 2026-10-08 0.6% below the previous session's close — an overnight gap, the part of the move that happened while the market was shut, and traded back through that level before the close | -0.6% |
|---|---|---|
| Open gap | it gapped 5.0% below the previous close 3 sessions ago and has not traded back through the level it left behind at 7.65 — an "unfilled gap", which describes a price range no trade has since crossed and is not a forecast that it will be crossed | -5.0% |
Price streaks
1
| Closing streak | it closed higher in its latest session, after a session that did not close higher — a single up day rather than a run | 1 session up |
|---|
Relative strength
4
| vs market, 1 month | over the past 1 month this stock lagged the market by 20.0 percentage points (the stock lost 19.0% while the market gained 1.0%) | -20.0% |
|---|---|---|
| vs market, 3 months | over the past 3 months this stock lagged the market by 26.4 percentage points (the stock lost 22.5% while the market gained 3.8%) | -26.4% |
| vs market, 6 months | over the past 6 months this stock lagged the market by 44.1 percentage points (the stock lost 26.7% while the market gained 17.5%) | -44.1% |
| vs market, 12 months | over the past 12 months this stock lagged the market by 36.7 percentage points (the stock lost 21.7% while the market gained 15.0%) | -36.7% |
Signal agreement
2
| Bullish technical signals | 2 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bullish state: its RSI momentum gauge is oversold (a beaten-down reading), near the bottom of its 14-day range (oversold) — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 2 of 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Bearish technical signals | 7 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bearish state: a "death cross" — its 50-day average is below its 200-day, trading below its 200-day average, a fresh 20-day low, MACD momentum is negative, a strong downtrend, with sellers in control, lagging the market over 6 months, trading below the Ichimoku cloud — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 7 of 9 |
Trend (Ichimoku cloud)
1
| Vs the Ichimoku cloud | trading 19% below the Ichimoku cloud — a band drawn from where its own highs and lows sat up to 2026-09-01 and projected forward over today's price, the side traders read as an established downtrend, with the band above acting as the level that would have to be cleared. The band itself is moderate, spanning 4.7% of the share price. | -19.4% |
|---|
Volume-weighted price
2
| Vs this year’s average price paid | the price is 23% below the average price paid so far this year, so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $9.31 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 191 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | -22.9% |
|---|---|---|
| Vs the average paid since it last reported | the price is 14% below the average price paid since it last reported on 2026-08-05 (its 10-Q), so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $8.39 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 46 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | -14.4% |
Price levels it has turned at before
MFA last closed at $7.18 on 2026-10-08. Since 2024-10-08 it has turned at 0 prices below its last close and 9 above; the 3 nearest above are listed, nearest first.
| Level | Side | Distance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| $8.89 | Resistance | 23.8% above the last close | turned there 7 times · 2025-08-06 to 2026-09-08 |
| $9.17 | Resistance | 27.7% above the last close | turned there 8 times · 2025-05-22 to 2026-07-23 |
| $9.37 | Resistance | 30.5% above the last close | turned there 9 times · 2025-01-13 to 2026-08-03 |
A level is a price this company reversed or paused at more than once — they describe past behaviour, not a forecast of where the price will go.
Wave structure
Its recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in leg 4 of five, a pullback against that direction.
This labelling fails — stops being a possible reading at all — if it closes above $9.11.
It is the only labelling that fits these swings, though its proportions are not the textbook ones.
On past moves of this shape the leg has usually ended somewhere between $8.92 and $9.11 — that is where it has tended to end if the count holds, not a forecast of where the price goes.
This reading has stood for 21 trading days, since 2026-09-10.
Read from daily closes as of 2026-10-08.
An Elliott-wave count describes the swings already printed and the level that would disprove it. It is not a forecast, a target, or advice.
Screens: Trading below the 200-day moving average · Oversold (14-day RSI below 30) · Near the 52-week low · Pulled back from the 12-month high · Broke down to a new 20-day low · lagging the market | Learn: moving average · golden cross · adx · rsi · breakout · fifty two week high low
Based on daily closing prices as of 2026-10-08. Describes past price behavior only — informational, not financial advice.
Analyst consensus
- Consensus ratingBuy (2.29 mean, 1=Strong Buy…5=Strong Sell) — 6 analysts
- Mean price target$14.00 range $10.00 – $31.00; median $10.75
Analyst estimates, as of 2026-10-03. These are third-party analyst opinions and price targets, aggregated — not a recommendation, prediction, or advice from stocks-llm. Informational only.
Analyst EPS estimate for MFA
- Consensus EPS estimate$0.3 next reporting period, as of 2026-10-03
- Estimate change, 30 days$0.00 (0.0%) from $0.3, on 2026-08-29, 35-day window
- Readings revised upward14% of 7 comparable readings
The consensus estimate for the next reporting period, and how it has moved between readings of that SAME period. A change is measured only between readings estimating one period — when a company reports, the consensus moves to the next quarter and the two numbers are not comparable. Informational only, not a forecast and not advice.
Key risks (from latest filing)
["Interest rate fluctuations significantly impact net interest income, asset valuations, and financing costs.","Credit risk associated with residential whole loans and the potential for increased borrower defaults.","Reliance on short-term financing arrangements and the risk of margin calls if asset values decline."]
What changed in the latest 10-Q
AI-assisted comparison of MFA's 10-Q filed 2026-05-05 against the prior one filed 2025-11-06.
Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)
- Added:
- Added reference to Annual Report on Form 10-K for year ended December 31, 2025 (newer filing, filed 2026-05-05)
- Added risk factor regarding 'the failure to realize the expected expense savings resulting from the anticipated relocation of our corporate headquarters in New York City' (newer filing, filed 2026-05-05)
- Removed:
- Removed reference to 'the U.S. government shutdown' from general economic developments risk factor (older filing, filed 2025-11-06)
- Removed risk factor 'risks associated with our investments in loan originators' standalone mention; now only appears within Lima One context (older filing, filed 2025-11-06)
- Reworded:
- Changed 'December 31, 2024' to 'December 31, 2025' in reference to Annual Report on Form 10-K (newer filing, filed 2026-05-05)
- Changed 'current U.S. Presidential administration' to 'current U.S. administration' (newer filing, filed 2026-05-05)
- Changed 'Investment Company Act' from quoted as 'Investment Company Act' to unquoted as Investment Company Act (newer filing, filed 2026-05-05)
- Changed 'Business purpose loan (BPL)' to 'business purpose loan (BPL)' capitalization in Lima One risk description (newer filing, filed 2026-05-05)
- Removed 'and' before 'whole loan modifications' in taxable income risk factor; now reads 'gain or loss on any MBS disposals or whole loan modifications' (newer filing, filed 2026-05-05)
- Notes:
- Both filings appear truncated at the end of the Business/General section, limiting full comparison of that section
- The older filing references September 30, 2025 and newer filing references March 31, 2026, reflecting different quarterly reporting periods
AI-assisted comparison of two SEC filing sections. It describes wording and theme changes only, makes no materiality, legal, or investment judgement, and is not financial advice. Informational only — not financial advice.
Insider activity (SEC Form 4)
No open-market insider purchases or sales are on record for MFA — recent Form 4 activity was compensation-related (awards, option exercises, or tax withholding), not open-market buying or selling.
View full insider trading history → View SEC Form 3/4/5 filingsOnly open-market purchases (SEC code P) and sales (code S) are counted here. Option exercises, vesting/awards, gifts, and shares withheld for taxes are excluded — they are compensation or mechanical, not open-market conviction. Sales may be planned and non-discretionary (e.g. a Rule 10b5-1 plan) and are not necessarily bearish; open-market buying is not a recommendation to buy. Informational only — not financial advice.
Short interest (FINRA)
MFA had 4,930,303 shares of reported short interest as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (delayed, bi-monthly; not real-time).
MFA had 4.88% of its shares outstanding sold short as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (percent of FLOAT would be higher — float is not disclosed in the source). FINRA reported 3.23 days to cover at the same settlement.
- Reported short interest (shares) 4,930,303
- Short interest (% of shares outstanding) 4.88%
- Prior settlement (shares) 4,661,016
- Reported change 5.78%
- Days to cover (reported) 3.23
Reported to FINRA as of the 2026-09-15 settlement date. Short interest is reported to FINRA and published on a delayed, bi-monthly schedule (as of a settlement date, disseminated roughly eight business days later) — it is NOT real-time, does not cover every venue or all US trading, and is not a short-squeeze prediction or investment advice. Days-to-cover is the value FINRA reports; percent of float is not shown because the source file carries no share-count denominator — where a percent appears it is of shares OUTSTANDING, the larger base, and is therefore a floor on percent of float. Informational only — not financial advice.
Competitors & peers
- Annaly Capital Management (NLY)
- AGNC Investment (AGNC)
- Starwood Property Trust (STWD)
- Blackstone Mortgage Trust (BXMT)
- New York Mortgage Trust (NYMT)
- Chimera Investment (CIM)
AI-enriched competitor set. Linked names are companies covered by stocks-llm; other named peers are shown for reference only.
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Frequently asked questions
What does MFA FINANCIAL INC (MFA) do?
MFA Financial is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests in, manages, and finances residential mortgage assets. Its portfolio consists primarily of residential whole loans, mortgage-backed securities, and other mortgage-related investments. The company also operates Lima One Capital, a mortgage banking business focused on providing financing for residential real estate investors.
What sector is MFA FINANCIAL INC (MFA) in?
MFA FINANCIAL INC (MFA) is classified in the Financials sector. Its industry is mortgage REITs. It trades on NYSE.
Does MFA pay a dividend?
Yes — MFA FINANCIAL INC (MFA) pays a dividend, with an indicated yield of about 13.42% and 2-year non-decreasing per-share dividend streak (SEC EDGAR XBRL) (market data, as of 2026-09-03). Informational only — not financial advice.
Who are MFA FINANCIAL INC's (MFA) competitors?
Notable peers of MFA FINANCIAL INC (MFA) include Annaly Capital Management, AGNC Investment, Starwood Property Trust, Blackstone Mortgage Trust and New York Mortgage Trust. This peer set is informational only — not financial advice.
Is MFA FINANCIAL INC (MFA) overbought or oversold right now?
MFA FINANCIAL INC (MFA) is currently in oversold territory (its 14-day RSI is 16, below 30) (as of 2026-10-08). RSI describes recent price momentum, not a forecast — informational only, not financial advice.
Where does stocks-llm's data on MFA come from?
Fundamentals come from SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-03 for the rest; prices are market data, as of 2026-09-03; company filings and profile facts come from SEC EDGAR. All figures are delayed daily-close data shown with their as-of date — informational only, not financial advice.
Fundamentals: SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-03 for the rest. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-10-08.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & market data, shown with their as-of date.